PREVIEW: Tech travels South Thursday

HOUGHTON, Mich. - After a pair of decisive non-conference wins over Thanksgiving weekend, Michigan Tech enters conference play with a 6-1 record and an opportunity to stay hot on the road Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against Wisconsin Parkside. The Huskies will also play at Purdue Northwest on Saturday, December 3 at 2 p.m. Both games can be heard on Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ.

LAST TIME OUT

• Shut down defense and 17 points by Ellie Mackay made the difference for Michigan Tech women's basketball as they collected their sixth win of the season Saturday over Minnesota Duluth 61-46 at SDC Gymnasium.
• Tech limited UMD to 33-percent shooting and top scorer Brooke Olson (18.2 ppg) to four points. MTU also grabbed eight steals and 33 rebounds in the cross great lake non-conference matchup.
• Isabella Lenz helped the Huskies with 14 points (6-13) and three assists while Alex Rondorf posted 12 points in the effort. Mackay, Lenz, Rondorf, and Sara Dax shared the team lead in rebounds with six apiece.
• The Huskies shot 41-percent (26-63) overall and went 7-for-22 (32-percent) from beyond the arc. MTU balanced its attack with 24 points in the paint and committed 11 turnovers against UMD's 14.

THE RIGHT LENZ

• Michigan Tech sophomore and defending GLIAC Freshman of the Year Isabella Lenz (Prescott, Wisconsin) may be the best bench option for any team in the conference. Depth and health has been a strength so far for MTU and Lenz is averaging 13.0 points per game (second) in 24.1 minutes for the Huskies.
• In last week's two games, Lenz totaled 27 points, eight rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and six assists. With five games in double-figures, she is showing no signs of a sophomore slump and has proven to be effective in the lane and outside the arc.
• As a true freshman, Lenz made five starts and marked a season high 17 points at Purdue Northwest. 

CAPTAIN KATELYN

• With much of the spotlight rightly shining on Alex Rondorf, who is averaging close to a double-double a night (12 ppg, nine rebounds), senior Katelyn Meister has quietly assembled yet another good start at guard through seven games.
• Meister averages 8.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
• She totaled a season high 16 points in a win over Lewis and scored 15 in a win over Minnesota Crookston, shooting 6-for-10 from the field.
• Last time out, Meister played a season high 31 minutes with four points at UMD.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Kaitlyn Zarycki led the Cardinals to a 2-0 showing on the week that included two performances of 20+ points scoring.
• She was three steals short of a double-double in the 61-54 win over Walsh on the first day of the Wayne State Warrior Holiday Tournament.
• Zarycki was four assists short of a triple-double in the 72-55 win over Carson-Newman on the final day of the tournament.
• The Senior from Niles, Michigan shot 52.6% from the floor (20-38) with 13 rebounds, and nine steals in two games.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (2-4, 0-0)

• Winning or losing to the Rangers comes down to whether or not teams can stop 2022 GLIAC Player of the Year Alyssa Nelson (redshirt senior guard).  
• At 21.8 points per game, Nelson once again leads the conference this season. 
• The Rangers were tabbed to finish fifth in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Last season, UWP held a 15-14 overall record, 12-9 in conference play.
• Fifth year head coach Jen Conoly welcomed assistant coach Eric Gruber and graduate assistant coach Jordan Fierst to the bench this fall.
• Nelson scored a GLIAC leading 20.2 points per game and averaged an impressive .514 shooting percentage, .415 from 3-point range, and .908 from the free throw line.
• Other returners include Maja Leidefors, Lamija Coric, Courtney Schoenback, Paty Gallasova, Kayla Bohr, and Sheridan Flauger.
• The Rangers fell 80-71 to No. 11 Minnesota State in Kenosha on Saturday after the Mavericks pulled away late.
• Nelson scored 22 points, with six rebounds, and two assists.
• Coric posted 13 points, two rebounds, and four assists.
• Gallasova ended with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE (4-3, 0-0)

• Reagan Courier leads the GLIAC in 3-point percentage (6-for-7). 
• Tadrianna Heard leads the team and ranks third in the conference in scoring (20.3 ppg).
• PNW takes on Northern Michigan on Thursday before hosting the Huskies Saturday.
• Last season, PNW earned the most wins in program history since joining Division II.
• Courtney Locke is in her fourth season as head coach.
• Returning leading scorer Dash Shaw has 15.3 points per game in seven starts, along with 5.0 rebounds and 23 assists (second).
• Shaw put up 14.5 points per game and 2.8 rebounds in 26 games last year (10 starts). 
• The Pride dropped a pair of games in the Nova Southeastern Tournament last weekend to Palm Beach Atlantic (L, 65-52) and Nova Southeastern (L, 74-72). 
• Shaw led the offense in the latter with 21 points off 8 of 13 shooting and seven boards.
• Heard added 15 points and four assists.
• Sophomore Antreese Shelton chipped in 11 points off the bench with four rebounds.