Huskies earn win over #24 Winona State at the charity stripe
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No. 24 Winona State | 27 | 45 | 72 |
|
Michigan Tech | 26 | 47 | 73 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech men's basketball team took down No. 24 Winona State 73-72 Tuesday (Dec. 19) afternoon at the SDC Gym. The Huskies improved to 3-7 overall and have won two of their last three outings.
"We've played such a tough schedule and for us to get a win today against another ranked opponent with a great player like Connor Dillon is good for the guys heading into the break," Tech coach Josh Buettner said.
WSU (7-4) led by one at halftime and extended the margin to six with 12:48 to go in the second half and again with 8:00 to go. Connor Dillon fueled the second half for the Warriors, pouring in 31 of his game-high 33 points in the final 20:00.
Adam Hobson started a run for the Huskies to get back into the game as he scored seven straight for the Black and Gold to make it a one-point game (60-59) with 5:32 on the clock.
It was a free throw battle from there with the teams combining for 23 shots at the charity stripe to close the game. Dan Gherezgher made a layup with 4:30 left—the last field goal for the Huskies—before Marcus Tomashek was fouled on four shots, including three attempts from behind the three-point line. The sophomore scored the final eight points for the Huskies. He was fouled on a three with 33 seconds left and buried all three free throws to put Tech up 73-72.
The Warriors had a chance at the end but Connor Dillon came up empty on a pair of shots and the Huskies survived.
Tech trailed by one at half, 27-26, despite making only 2-for-11 from deep and committing eight turnovers. The Huskies jumped out to a 5-0 lead and the Warriors also led by as many as five in the opening 20:00.
Both teams shot 63 percent from the field in the second half.
Marcus Tomashek scored 30 points, hitting the 30-point mark for the third time this season and also leading the team with six rebounds. Dan Gherezgher was also in double figures with 13. Adam Hobson (9), Dawson Nordgaard (7), Pete Calcaterra (6), Josh Terrian (3), Peyton LaCombe (3), and Nate Abel (2) also contributed to the offense.
The Warriors were led by Connor Dillon's 33, while Devon Fielding also hit double figures with 10.
The afternoon game drew 250 middle school kids from schools around the Copper Country on their final day before the Holiday break.
"It was awesome to see the kids here," Buettner added. "Hopefully it's something we can do again in the future. I really appreciate the athletic department for doing the leg work to get them here. I hope the kids had fun, and I know our team appreciated it."
Tech wraps up nonconference play and a seven-game home stand on December 30 against Algoma. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. at the SDC Gym.
