Tech Men’s Hoops Fall Shy of Comeback Against Peacocks

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – For the second straight night, the Michigan Tech men's basketball team was in a one-possession affair late in the game before resorting to fouls to ultimately fall in a high-scoring battle, 93-87.

"It really stings losing a pair with how hard we competed this weekend," head coach Josh Buettner said. "Hilmer is a special player and we didn't have an answer for him. We have a good team and I'm excited to see us compete and continue to come together." 

The Huskies (0-2) saw early points from Nate Abel and Dawson Nordgaard, who combined for 15 of the 38 first half points. Their early points helped the Huskies hold a lead until the 11:47 mark.

Hobson chipped in five points in the first quarter with a 3-pointer at the 3:14 mark to take a 36-31 lead before heading into halftime with a one-point lead (38-37).

The second half showcased 115 total points, with Upper Iowa scoring a staggering 56 points, shooting a just as shocking 51.6 percent from the field. Tech, who on any other night, probably would see a different result, scoring 49 points on 44.1 percent shooting.

Upper Iowa controlled from the jump in the second half, sustaining a lead until the 7:41 mark when the Huskies pulled back to within two points at 72-70.

The Peacocks remarkable scoring barrage had a lot to do with the 2022-23 NSIC South Player of the Year, who lived up to the honor, scoring 29 of his 37 total points in the second half–10 of which came from the charity stripe in the final three minutes of the game. 

With 3:20 remaining, the Huskies had climbed back and tied the game for the first time in the second half at 80-all off a 3-pointer from Pete Calcaterra. Despite the double bonus becoming a factor down the stretch, MTU trailed by one with 37 seconds left and once again had a shot to hit the game-tying shot with under 20 seconds to go, before being forced to foul down the stretch.

The Huskies shot a respectable 44.9 from the field for the game, to go with nine 3-pointers. In total, Michigan Tech had three in double-figure scoring in Marcus Tomashek (21 points), Nate Abel (17 points) and Dawson Nordgaard (12 points). Tyler Robarge had a team-high seven boards as Abel, Hobson, Drew Barrie and Josh Terrian each grabbed five. 

Michigan Tech saw 28 points from the reserves and 17 total assists, with Terrian having a team-high seven. 

Up Next

The Huskies have their home opener on Saturday with a tilt against Missouri-St. Louis is slated for a 1 p.m. tipoff at the SDC Gym.