PREVIEW: Huskies host challenging NSIC opponents this week

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Following a win at Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, the Huskies return home to face two more Northern Sun opponents after Thanksgiving, including St. Cloud State (Friday, Nov. 25) and Minnesota Duluth (Saturday, Nov. 26).

Both are formidable foes, with the SCSU Huskies fresh off a trip to the NCAA Central Region semifinals and the Bulldogs winning back-to-back NSIC Tournament Championships. Both games will be streamed via FloSports and broadcast on Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ with Mitch Lake on play-by-play.

LAST TIME OUT

• Michigan Tech used a 14-0 third quarter run to pull away from Minnesota Crookston 82-62 Saturday afternoon at Lysaker Gymnasium.
• The Huskies avenged a Thursday night loss to Southwest Minnesota State.
• Katelyn Meister led the Huskies with 15 points, six rebounds, and one steal.
• Ellie Mackay shot 50-percent and totaled 13 points.
• Alex Rondorf grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds with four steals and eight points.
• The senior already has a pair of double-doubles this fall.

HUSKIES VERSUS HUSKIES

• Tech last played St. Cloud State in Moorhead, Minnesota on November 15, 2019 in the MSU-Moorhead Classic Tournament.
• MTU had four players in double figures, including Sloane Zenner (12) but fell 65-61. Tech shot 39-percent overall.

HUSKIES VERSUS BULLDOGS

• Last season, the Huskies fell to the then No. 18 ranked Bulldogs 67-50 at SDC Gymnasium.
• UMD pulled away in the second half, taking a 10 points lead into the fourth quarter.
• The Huskies struggled from the field as they shot 33-percent as well as 33-percent from beyond the arc.
• Mackay finished with 10 points.

SCOUTING THE SCSU HUSKIES

• Picking up a pair of wins to start the year against Valley City State and Presentation College, St. Cloud State fell 59-56 to Minnesota Duluth Tuesday night at Halenbeck Hall (St. Cloud). 
• Jada Eggebracht led SCSU with 18 points but the Huskies lost in their home building for the first time in 16 games. Katrina Theis racked up 13 points and nine rebounds.
• Lori Fish is in her 15th season as head coach at St. Cloud State and 19th overall as a collegiate coach.
• Fish was named NSIC Coach of the Year in 2021-22 after leading the Huskies to their first NSIC regular season title since 1983-84 and first North Division title since 2012-13. 
• The Huskies were selected to finish seventh in the Northern Sun Preseason Coaches' Poll, fourth in the North Division.
• Last year's historic season ended in the NCAA Regional semifinal against Missouri Southern.
• SCSU graduated five seniors and brought back eight returners.
• Katrina Theis and Kelsey Peschel opted to return for a fifth year after helping the Huskies to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament.

RONDORF EXCELS EARLY

• Rondorf was All-GLIAC Second Team last season as well as All-GLIAC defensive team with 27 starts. She ranked second on the squad in points per game (12.3) and ranked third in the conference in blocked shots. 
• In her first five games of 2022-23, Rondorf is averaging 12.8 points and 9.8 rebounds, third most in the GLIAC.
• Mattison Rayman (Lake Superior State) leads the category, averaging a double-double with 15.8 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Lakers.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Ferris State University senior guard Mallory McCartney had an impressive week, averaging 19 points per game, as the Bulldogs improved to 4-0 overall with two regional victories.
• The senior guard scored 18 points with six assists and six rebounds in Wednesday's 79-51 romp over Northwood in FSU's home opener at Jim Wink Arena.
• She then came back with a team-high 20 points, five assists, and two boards on Saturday.

SCOUTING THE UMD BULLDOGS

• Last year, the Bulldogs finished 24-5 and won the NSIC Tournament.
• They have four consecutive 20-plus win seasons and two NSIC regular season championships in four years.
• The NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll slotted the Bulldogs as the No. 2 team in the conference, behind Minnesota State, receiving seven first-place votes.
• Three starters graduated over the summer, Sarah Grow, Payton Kahl, and Ann Simonet. Lost is a combined 22.3 points per game.
• Team leading scorer guard Brooke Olson is back as a graduate student this year. Six of UMD's players are seniors/grad. students; five are juniors, including redshirt junior transfer Abby Johnson (Division I Nebraska Omaha).
• Recruit class includes Brooke Olson's sister Brynn. Brynn scored over 1,000 points for Rice Lake High School. Lexi Karge comes in as a forward and a standout from Mankato East High School.

OFF-SEASON NEWS

• Elisa Jurmu was promoted to Assistant Head Coach with the Michigan Tech women's basketball team, Head Coach Sam Clayton announced on Wednesday (August 3).
• Jurmu served as Assistant Coach for each of the past four seasons.
• Over that period, the Huskies posted a 70-39 overall record (.642), including two GLIAC North Division regular season championships, two conference tournament semifinal appearances, and one GLIAC tournament championship (2020-21).
• The Michigan Tech women's basketball team held the 15th highest grade point average in NCAA Division II in 2021-22 and was included in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 award.
• The Huskies improved their GPA to 3.734 and were one of two GLIAC schools honored (Wayne State - No. 18). Tech has been in the Top-25 for 14 of the past 15 years. Ten players earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honors and one more was a GLIAC All-Academic honoree.
• Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Famer Dawn Plitzuweit was named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at West Virginia on March 31.
• Plitzuweit was an All-American for the Huskies, playing from 1990-95, and was an assistant coach for the Black and Gold from 1995-98.