PREVIEW: Michigan Tech travels to Kentucky Wesleyan

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Fresh off their biggest win of the season, Michigan Tech men's basketball hits the road Monday to play Kentucky Wesleyan in non-conference play at 8 p.m. The game will be carried on Mix 93.5 WKMJ in the Houghton area.

LAST TIME OUT

• Marcus Tomashek made one of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and Michigan Tech held on to defeat Ferris State 69-68 inside SDC Gymnasium Sunday afternoon in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball.
• The Huskies snapped a seven-game losing streak and improved to 3-8 overall after shooting 50 percent as a team. 
• The Huskies received 35 points off the bench and outscored the Bulldogs 33-29 in the second half after trailing at the midway point by three.
• Ferris State pulled down 40 rebounds, compared to 29 for Tech, but the Huskies made up ground by limiting their turnovers to 10.
• Freshmen Nate Abel provided a spark to open the second half after Josh Terrian took a charge.
• Soon after, fellow freshman Dan Gherezher showed off his athleticism in transition and finished with 12 points, tying Adam Hobson for a team-high.
• Pete Calcaterra (11 points) and Tyler Robarge (10 points) also made it to double figures. 

CALCULATING CALCATERRA

• Sophomore guard Pete Calcaterra's season-high point total was nine last season.
• This year, he has reached double figures three times, including 16 points against Minnesota Crookston on November 18.
• The Huskies have needed to see improvement on the defensive end of the floor as well and Calcaterra provides grit.
• He also leads the team in rebounds per game (4.5) and his minutes have increased from 5.6 last season to 18 this season as Coach Buettner's first call off the bench.
• Notably, Calcaterra is the third most efficient shooter in the league, at 57 percent from the field.

HOBSON CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE

• With the added pressure of being selected preseason first team all-conference, sophomore Adam Hobson has been steady again this fall for the Huskies.
• In 11 starts, Hobson is shooting 44 percent with 11 points per game, just shy of his 12 point average a year ago.
• He also passes a team-high 2.3 assists and is an 84 percent free throw shooter.
• Tech ranks third in the GLIAC in free throw percentage (75 percent).
• The Huskies have three opportunities approaching to pick up their first road win this season.
• After Kentucky Wesleyan, MTU travels to Saginaw Valley State and Wayne State January 5-7 in a return to GLIAC play.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Northern Michigan's senior guard Max Bjorklund has earned his third GLIAC Player of the Week honor this season after leading the Wildcats to a 2-0 weekend with an 89-77 win over Ferris State and 87-72 victory over Lake Superior State.
• Against the Bulldogs, Bjorklund scored 18 points while adding 7 rebounds and a pair of assists.
• In the matchup with the Lakers, he scored 23 points with 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals. Bjorklund went 14-15 from the free-throw line on the weekend.
• On the season, he is averaging 21.9 ppg on 47.8% shooting from the floor and 41.3% from three.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• Michigan Tech catches Kentucky Wesleyan for the finale of three games in five nights for the Panthers.
• Malone connected on 21 of 35 (60 percent) of 3-pointers to down Kentucky Wesleyan 104-71 Thursday night in Canton.
• Three players made it to double figures in the loss, including Jordan Roland (14 pts), Antonio Thomas (12 pts), and JoMel Boyd (11 pts).
• Walsh won the GMAC Championship in 2021-22 and the Panthers' last title came in 2017-18.
• Drew Cooper is in his fifth season as head coach.
• Injuries to key players last season limited the Panthers to a 14-14 overall record, including eight losses in overtime or within the final two minutes of play.
• Senior forward Ben Sisson leads the offense with 11.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
• The 6-foot-6-inch Fort Thomas, Kentucky native started 23 games and averaged 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 2021-22 while leading the team in blocked shots (14) and shooting percentage (57 percent).
• Michigan Tech fell to Kentucky Wesleyan in their last meeting 80-78 on December 31, 2016 in Houghton.
• The Huskies hit a 3-point shot a fraction of a second after the second half clock ran to zero.