PREVIEW: Huskies home for stretch run

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech men's basketball hosts Purdue Northwest (Thursday) and Wisconsin Parkside (Saturday) at SDC Gymnasium this week, with three games remaining in the regular season.

The Huskies are currently ninth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and must rise to eighth to qualify for the postseason tournament. 

LAST TIME OUT

• The Huskies fell 77-71 at Davenport Saturday afternoon. Adam Hobson led MTU with 17 points and shot 5-for-9.
• Marcus Tomashek (14 points), Eric Carl (12 points), and Dan Gherezgher (11 points) also contributed on offense.
• Trailing by eight in the final five minutes, Gherezgher rolled in an athletic layup and Adam Hobson downed a triple to get the Huskies back within four with 2:37 remaining.
• Following a pair of free throws by Sterling Jordan, Hobson's layup kept Tech within two possessions.
• After a defensive stop, Hobson connected one of two free throws but a foul on Pete Calcaterra sent Felton to the line with 30 seconds left. Hobson, Gherezgher, and Calcaterra each had 3-point looks in the final minute, but the Huskies failed to muster a late comeback.
• The Huskies shot 40.7 percent overall (22-54) and 31.4 percent (11-35) from long range.
• Davenport connected 58.7 percent of shots (27-46), including 50 percent (9-18) outside attempts.
• Leech entered the afternoon tied for the conference lead in points per game and was an efficient 10-for-16.

MATCHUP WITH THE PRIDE

• The Huskies fell 73-68 to PNW on December 3 in Hammond.
• Mikell Cooper led the Pride with 30 points and Alou Dillon added 20.
• Hobson topped the scoresheet for the Huskies with 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
• Tech led 42-31 at halftime.

TRACKING THE FRESHMEN

• Dan Gherezgher ranks 22nd in the GLIAC in points per game (11.7) with 24 games played and 16 starts at guard. He ranks third among GLIAC Freshmen. 
• Fellow freshman Marcus Tomashek scored 14 points Saturday and has 12 games in double figures.
• Tomashek rolled in six 3-pointers against Davenport on January 19 for a season-high 20 points.
• Tomashek also posted 20 points at St. Cloud State on November 27.
• Redshirt freshman Nate Abel played 23 minutes Thursday night and scored 15 points, his second-best offensive output of the season. 
• Abel was 4-for-7 from the field and 2-for-5 from downtown. Abel's season-high 20 point performance came against Davenport on January 19.
• Abel (Beaver Dam, Wisconsin) redshirted last season but has seen a steady increase in minutes over the course of the year.
• Josh Terrian continues to be a steady presence in the Huskies' starting five.

SCOUTING THE PRIDE (11-13, 4-10)

• The Pride bring three straight losses to Michigan Tech Thursday. PNW fell 77-66 to Parkside Saturday in Kenosha.
• Graduate Alou Dillon (Milwaukee, Wis.) led the Pride with 15 points, four rebounds, four assists.
• Senior Mikell Cooper (Milwaukee, Wis.) and junior Brevin Jefferson (Indianapolis, Indiana) each added 11 points. Jefferson led the team with eight assists.
• Brian Roberts is in his fifth season as head coach.
• PNW brought in eight newcomers this fall, including Alou Dillon, Obi Ezekwesill, Andrew Bradford, Jaylon Gentry, Brevin Jefferson, and Tyran Rodgers.
• Purdue Northwest was picked to finish 10th this season in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS (16-8, 11-3)

• The Rangers have won five straight to reach the top of the GLIAC standings, most recently a 77-66 victory over Purdue Northwest. 
• Rasheed Bello had a game-high 24 points on 9-16 shooting.
• Josiah Palmer scored 18 points on 8-13 shooting. 
• Parkside finished 17-for-20 from the free throw line and scored 25 points off 17 PNW turnovers.
• Parkside came back after PNW started with a 16-4 lead in the first half.
• Head Coach Luke Reigel is in his 20th season. Under his guidance, the Rangers have qualified for the NCAA Tournament six times.
• Parkside won the 2018-19 GLIAC North Division title.
• Parkside was selected eighth in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll, and returned three of its top four scorers.

D2SIDA REGION RANKINGS (Week 13)

Receiving Votes: Grand Valley State

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Senior forward Kemon Bassett continued to make strong contributions to his team offensively, averaging 22 points on the weekend for a pair of Laker victories over Saginaw Valley and Wayne State on efficient shooting marks of over 60% from the field, 50% from beyond the arc, and nearly 90% from the free throw line. 
• He was also able to secure nearly 10 rebounds each game and added four assists in the win against Wayne State.
• Bassett's 25-point, 10-rebound double-double against SVSU was his third double-double of the season, a game in which he came off the bench.

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.