PREVIEW: Huskies meet Panthers, Lakers at home

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Following a disappointing road loss to Northern Michigan, the Huskies return to Houghton with a 4-2 home record and a chance to move up in the GLIAC standings with a win over Davenport Thursday, January 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tech welcomes Grand Valley State on Saturday at 3 p.m.

HAPPY AT HOME

• Tech set a single game school record for fewest points allowed to an opponent last time at SDC Gymnasium when they defeated Finlandia 103-35 on January 11.
• Seven players made it to double figures, including freshman Nate Abel with 13.
• Other leading scorers included Brad Simonsen (12), Dawson Nordgaard (12), and Dan Gherezgher (11). Tyler Robarge and Eric Carl put up 10 points apiece.
• Michigan Tech picked up its biggest win of the season in Houghton on December 11 over Ferris State 69-68.
• Tomashek's free throw with 2.4 seconds remaining was enough to push the Huskies over the top. Tech also has home victories over Minnesota Crookston and Lake Superior State.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Huskies suffered a 90-65 setback on Saturday at Berry Events Center and trailed 40-29 at halftime.
• Despite the loss, Gherezgher scored 14 points with five rebounds and Tyler Robarge shot 6-for-8 in the paint for 13 points.
• Tech shot 40-percent overall.
• Tomashek leads the team with 11.1 points per game. He has eight games of 10 or more points, including a season high 20 points at St. Cloud State on November 27.
• Tomashek scored nine in Saturday's loss after shooting 3-for-9. The Green Bay freshman competed for Ashwaubenon High School, where he was a multi-year All-State student-athlete and averaged 24 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

SERIES VERSUS DAVENPORT

• Last season, the Huskies downed Davenport twice for a season sweep, including a 73-61 score at SDC Gymnasium on January 22.
• More recently, MTU won 84-72 at DU Student Center in February.
• Adam Hobson hit eight 3-pointers for a career high 28 points in the game.
• Hobson, a sophomore, started all 27 games last year and scored 12.3 points (second on team).
• Through 16 games this winter, Hobson has seven double figure point totals, but was held to just four against Northern Michigan in 20 minutes Saturday.
• He notched a season high 25 against Lewis to start the year after shooting 9-for-27 from the field.
• The Huskies' youthful roster is one of the least experienced in several seasons.
• Three freshmen regularly crack the starting five and Eric Carl is the only upperclassman earning regular minutes, with Devin Schmitz out due to injury.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• The Panthers have lost three of their last four in-conference matchups, including an 80-66 setback against Wayne State on Saturday.
• The lead changed 10 times but DU fell, despite an impressive offensive performance from Antonio Marshall (36 points). Marshall downed six 3-pointers.
• The Panthers were projected to finish fifth in the GLIAC this season under veteran head coach Burt Paddock (15th season).
• After becoming a Division II institution in 2017-18, the Panther qualified for the conference tournament for the first time in school history last season and finished with a record of 17-14 overall.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Marcedes Leech Jr. was named Preseason First Team All-GLIAC after averaging 12.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in his first season.
• At 18.5 points per game this year, Leech Jr. is second behind only Max Bjorklund (Northern Michigan) in the league scoring race.
• Redshirt junior forwards Jakub Dombek (7.0 rpg) and Chaz Birchfield (6.3 rpg) rank second and third in the conference respectively in rebounds. 
• Seven newcomers joined the team this year, including three transfers, indicating a similar recruiting strategy to that of the Panthers football team in the fall.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS

• After falling in the GLIAC quarterfinals to Saginaw Valley State in the spring, Grand Valley State is 9-8 overall so far this year. The Lakers split last weekend's home matchups with a loss to Wayne State 72-63, followed by a win over Saginaw Valley State 66-62. 
• Trevor Gunter sank three triples in the final 6:15 against the Cardinals, helping GVSU overcome a 10-point deficit in the second half. 
• Grand Valley State takes on Northern Michigan Thursday at 5:30 before traveling to Houghton Saturday.
• Projected to finish sixth this year in the conference, the Lakers began a new era this season under head coach Cornell Mann.
• Mann was most recently assistant coach at Missouri (2017-21) and had previous stops at Oakland (2016-17), Dayton (2008-11), Western Michigan (2003-08), and Central Michigan (2001-03). 
• GVSU added nine newcomers this year, including three transfers and six true freshmen. Of the seven returners, four saw time on the court in 2021-22. Of those, Marius Grazulis (Marquette, Michigan) averages the most points (11.1 ppg) and rebounds (5.8) with 17 games played and seven strats.
• Only sophomore guard Trevon Gunter (Kalamazoo, Michigan) and freshman guard Jalen Charity (Grand Rapids, Michigan) have started every game.

BIG PICTURE

• Tech has been selected for entry in the NCAA Region Tournament two of the last three years and has not finished below .500 overall since 2018-19. 
• In 101 seasons, the squad has made 11 NCAA appearances and won three GLIAC Tournament titles.
• The Huskies were selected fifth in the D2SIDA preseason midwest region rankings poll.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• After recording career-highs of 24 points and six triples in the road win at Grand Valley State on Thursday, Antonio Marshall (Wayne State) drained another six shots from beyond the arc in scoring 36 points in the victory at Davenport on Saturday. 
• The 36 points are tied-for-eighth most in the 105 years of WSU basketball.  
• Marshall was 23-of-44 (52 percent) from the field, including 12-of-27 (44 percent) from three-point range. He also contributed nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks while playing 77 minutes.

LISTEN TO THE HUSKIES

• The exclusive radio carrier of Michigan Tech athletics is Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ and its partner station AM 920 WMPL.
• Fans can listen to every conference game and a selection of non-conference action all season long on local radio and online at pasty.net.
• Long-time play-by-play voice of the Huskies, Mitch Lake will be on the call for all Tech men's and women's basketball home contests.