ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - Lawrence Tech could not overcome a cold shooting night and Rochester Christian's pressure defense, falling 79-54 on Wednesday evening at Garth Pleasant Arena.
The Blue Devils trailed 24-16 after the first quarter and 38-27 at halftime, but the game decisively tilted out of reach in the third quarter. Rochester Christian outscored Lawrence Tech 23-15 in the frame, turning a manageable deficit into a 61-42 gap heading to the fourth behind a series of transition baskets and points off turnovers. The hosts finished the night shooting 48.4% from the field and converting 30 points off Lawrence Tech's 23 turnovers.
Lawrence Tech's most sustained push came early in the third quarter. After Rochester Christian took an 11-point lead into the break, Ella Haupert drilled a 3-pointer at the 9:37 mark of the third to cut the margin to 38-30 and briefly swing momentum toward the Blue Devils. But Rochester Christian responded with another surge, using its length at the rim and active hands on the perimeter to quickly rebuild a double-digit cushion and close the quarter on a run capped by a fastbreak layup that made it 61-42.
Offensively, the Blue Devils found intermittent success from the perimeter, knocking down nine 3-pointers, but overall shot 33.9% from the field (19-for-56) and 29% from beyond the arc. Lawrence Tech finished with 15 assists on its 19 made field goals, showing solid ball movement when possessions were settled in the half court, but Rochester Christian's 19 steals and ability to turn live-ball turnovers into fastbreak points (26-9) proved to be the difference.
Kate Jacobs led Lawrence Tech with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting and added a team-high seven rebounds and one block, providing a steady interior presence at both ends. Haupert gave the Blue Devils a perimeter spark with 10 points, including two 3-pointers, along with four rebounds and an assist. LaChelle Moreland-Jones contributed nine points and six rebounds, attacking the glass to help Lawrence Tech stay competitive on the boards against a taller Rochester Christian front line.
Lawrence Tech was outrebounded 40-29 but battled to a 20-50 deficit in points in the paint against a team that consistently attacked the rim. The Blue Devils' bench chipped in 18 points, and the team generated 13 points off Rochester Christian's 15 turnovers, but the hosts' efficiency and depth ultimately controlled the pace. Lawrence Tech also went 7-for-11 at the free-throw line (63.6%), while Rochester Christian converted 80% of its attempts.
Rochester Christian was led by Samone Andrews, who scored a game-high 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting, and Kendal Zeiter, who added 19 points on 7-for-8 from the field with three blocks. The setback drops the Blue Devils after a challenging road assignment, and the team will look to build on the positive stretches of ball movement and perimeter scoring while tightening ball security and interior defense heading into its next contest.
