Huskies Men’s Hoops Second Half Dismantles Warriors, 84-77
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wayne State (4-4,0-2 GLIAC) | 48 | 29 | 77 |
|
Michigan Tech (2-6,1-1 GLIAC) | 39 | 45 | 84 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech men's basketball team put forth its most complete game of the season, holding Wayne State to 29 points in the second half in the 84-77 win at the SDC gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
"In the big picture this is a huge win–our guys have kept working even though we haven't always gotten results, we've lost some close games and to comeback and fight and believe–its a big time win," head coach Josh Buettner said. "We had some guys that stepped up their competitive level in the second half and it started with them making the decision that they're going to guard and to hold Wayne State to 29 points is impressive."
Michigan Tech improves to 1-1 in conference play and 2-6 overall, while Wayne State falls to 4-4 overall and 0-2 in the loop.
The Huskies overcame a nine point deficit heading into halftime 48-39, with the Warriors biggest lead coming with 4:22 remaining in the half at 39-25 following a steal by Kaimen Lennox, which translated into a fastbreak layup.
Michigan Tech closed the final two minutes of the half with an 8-3 run sparked by a 3-pointer by Marcus Tomashek. Pete Calcaterra connected on two foul shots at the 1:17 mark, with Nate Abel knocking down a timely 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining before Carmelo Harris hit a buzzer beater 3-pointer to make it 48-39 heading into halftime.
The Huskies had a notable one turnover in the first half while both teams amassed four offensive rebounds. MTU went 8-of-9 from the charity stripe and saw Tomashek led the way with a game-leading 14 points and 2-of-3 from long range.
At the 17:01 mark in the second half, MTU went down by 11 following a free throw from Matt Coffey. However, the Huskies strung together a 12-2 run to the 12:39 mark, forcing Wayne State to take a timeout at 56-55.
Sophomore forward Dawson Nordgaard scored the last four points during the burst, with the last layup coming off an offensive rebound. Adam Hobson began the run with two free-throws and a jump shot following a triple from Tomashek.
The Warriors retaliated with a five-point burst before a Josh Terrian 3-pointer and two more free-throws from Hobson evened the game at 60 with 9:40 to play.
The Huskies flipped a switch when Nordgaard completed an and-1, which he followed with another offensive putback two possessions later to take a five point lead with 6:12 to go and steal the Warriors spark.
Pete Calcaterra joined in with four-consecutive points for the Black & Gold with an offensive putback and a timely foul by Colin Golson Jr., causing him to head to the Warriors bench with five fouls and extend Tech's lead to seven following two free-throw makes.
With under four to play, Nordgaard would send Matt Coffey to WSU's bench with his fifth foul and put the De Pere, Wisconsin, native on the foul line for two more points and a six point lead.
Hobson put the nail in the coffin at the 3:19 mark with a timely 3-pointer to make it 77-68.
MTU would go 7-of-10 from the charity stripe down the stretch, with five coming from Abel to seal the win 84-77.
"We needed this game for ourselves and to get back on track," Tomashek said. "Dawson was great on offense in the second half and he was finishing very well and it was great to see him do that."
"It's really nice for us to get this win," Nordgaard added. "It means everything to help my team win a game–its a great feeling."
Tomashek once again led the Huskies with 20 points while Nordgaard (19), Hobson (16) and Calcaterra (11) scored in double-figures. Calcaterra also had a team-high eight rebounds, while Nordgaard had a notable six rebounds, four of which came on the offensive end.
Carmelo Harris posted a team-high 22 points as four Warriors grabbed five rebounds.
Up Next
Michigan Tech returns to the SDC Gymnasium on Sunday, Dec. 17, hosting nonconference foe Kentucky Wesleyan at 1 p.m.
