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Posted: Mar 07, 2018

(Preview) Huskies Head to Ashland, Ohio for NCAA Midwest Regionals

(Preview) Huskies Head to Ashland, Ohio for NCAA Midwest Regionals

Michigan Tech Game Notes (PDF)
NCAA Midwest Region Tournament Page
NCAA Digital Program

Fri. Mar. 9 • 7:30 p.m. vs Grand Valley State • Mar. 10 and 12 • TBA • Ashland, Ohio
#24 Michigan Tech (23-5) vs Grand Valley State (25-6)

 Radio: WKMJ (Kirk McDonnell)
Video Stream: http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/wbkb/2017-18/schedule
 Audio Stream: Pasty.net
Live Stats: http://www.michigantechhuskies.com/sports/wbkb/2017-18/schedule

 ROAD TO THE NCAA REGIONALS
 Michigan Tech enters the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday with an overall record of 23-5. The Huskies were the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division Champions, making it the 15th regular season title in program history. Tech has five of those championships since the 2010-11 campaign. The Huskies won both of their games against rival Northern Michigan this season and swept the regular season series with eight total teams. Two seniors surpassed 1,000 career points for the Huskies this season. Guard Kelli Guy reached 1,000 career points this by scoring a single game career high 30 points against Wayne State on February 22nd. Guy made 10 of 13 shots from the field, including going 7 for 8 from behind the three-point arc which also matched a career high for triples in a single game. Guard Brenna Heise joined Guy on the final day of the regular season by surpassing 1,000 points in her Tech career against Davenport. Heise paced the Huskies with 12 points, nine rebounds, had a career high four blocked shots, and three steals in the contest. Tech earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament and is one of three teams representing the GLIAC this year in the field of eight.

TECH NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
 The Huskies will be making their 19th NCAA National Tournament appearance in program history when they take the floor against Grand Valley State University on Friday night. Tech has four NCAA Regional Championships and appeared in the NCAA National Championship game during the 2010-11 campaign. The Huskies have competed in the regional title game nine times throughout program history. This is the fourth appearances for the Huskies on the national stage under Head Coach Kim Cameron, who led the team to the national title game. Tech's most recent trip to the reagionals occurred during the 2014-15 season. The Huskies  hosted the event that year and advanced to the semifnals, defeating Cedarville in the first round 71-59.

NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
 The Huskies go into the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament as the No. 4 seed in this year's field of eight teams. Tech will battle the No. 5 seed Grand Valley State Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Ashland, Ohio. Ashland University is the No. 1 seed and host for this year's regional tournament. Tech faced the Lakers twice during the regular season and won both times. The Huskies defeated GVSU 85-81 on the road in overtime December 7th and then recorded a 68-61 decision in Houghton on February 1st. The GLIAC has three teams in this year's regional, with Ashland, Grand Valley State, and Michigan Tech. The Great Lakes Valley Conference has Drury, Lewis, and Southern Indiana in the tournament while the Great Midwest Conference placed Findlay and Hillsdale in this year's field.

HUSKIES RANKED 24TH IN WBCA POLL
 Michigan Tech fell to No. 24 in this week's edition of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, announced Sunday night by the national office. The Huskies have been ranked as high as 10th this season and held the No. 20 spot the previous week. Michigan Tech earned 77 points in this week's poll and are one of two GLIAC teams ranked in the top 25. Ashland remained unbeaten last week and is now 31-0, keeping the No. 1 ranking with 600 points and all 24 first place votes. Grand Valley State retained a spot in the receiving votes category once again this week.

GLIAC/NCAA STATISTICAL RANKINGS
 Michigan Tech remains ranked near the top of the GLIAC and NCAA in multiple statistical categories through 28 games this season. The Huskies lead the GLIAC in blocked shots per game (5.3, 12th in NCAA II) and fewest turnovers per game (12.4, 12th NCAA II). The Huskies are second in three-point shooting percentage (35.5%), assist to turnover ratio (1.33, 9th NCAA II) and third in assists per game (16.4). The Huskies have made 46.6% of their field goals which is second in the conference (9th NCAA). They are third in the GLIAC in scoring at 71.8 ppg. The defense is also third in the conference in limiting opponents to 60.3 ppg. Senior Lindsay Winter is third in the conference in assist to turnover ratio (2.61, 6th in NCAA II) and fourth in total assists with 107. Senior Kelli Guy is first in the GLIAC in triples made per game (2.54) and  second in three-point field goal percentage (41.0%). Junior Elizabeth Kelliher leads the conference and is 29th in NCAA Division II with 65 blocked shots.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
 Grand Valley State owns an overall record of 25-6 heading into the NCAA Regionals. The Lakers advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Championship on Sunday, where they fell to the defending National Champion Ashland 85-74. Prior to that loss, the Lakers had won five in a row down the stretch, including a 58-40 win over Northern Michigan and 67-45 triumph over Ferris State in the conference tournament. Grand Valley State was the No.3 seed in the tournament after wrapping up the regular season with a 16-4 record against conference opponents.

The Lakers boast the top-ranked defense in the GLIAC in terms of fewest points allowed, giving up just 55.2 points per game. They also led the GLIAC in limiting opposing shooters to a 37.5 percent clip from the field in their 31 games. Meanwhile, the offense ranked fourth in scoring at 71.2 points per game this season.

The Lakers have four players averaging 11.5 or more points per game this season coming into the regional tournament. Guard Jenn DeBoer leads the charge at 12.3 points per game followed by Cassidy Boensch at 12.0 points each time she takes the floor. Boensch converts 64.5 percent of her shots from the floor and is tough for opponents to guard in the paint. In addition to her scoring numbers, Boensch hauls down 7.0 rebounds per game while blocking 1.7 shots per night.

The other matchups for the opening round in the Midwest Regional have the No. 1 seed Ashland (31-0) taking on No. 8 seed Hillsdale (19-10). Second seed Drury (29-2) battles seventh seed Findlay (22-7) and the No. 3 seed Southern Indiana (26-4) faces No. 6 seed Lewis (23-7).

COACH CAMERON
 Kim Cameron begins her eighth season at Michigan Tech in 2017-18 and is the first Division II head coach in Tech history to lead a team to a national title game appearance (2011). Tech's historic run through the NCAA Tournament came just months after Cameron was appointed to the position on June 17, 2010. The 2011 and 2015 GLIAC and 2011 WBCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year has accumulated 158 wins in her first seven seasons on the job. Her winning percentage (.772) is the best of any coach in the program's history, a list that includes three Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Famers (Cheryl DePuydt, Kevin Borseth and Darla Olson).

NEXT UP
 If the Huskies prevail over Grand Valley State Friday they will advance to the Midwest Regional semifinals Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Tech will meet the winner of the Ashland and Hillsdale contest which will be played right before Tech's game Friday night.