Preview: #23 Michigan Tech hosts Davenport
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Davenport | 11 | 20 | 11 | 16 | 58 |
|
Michigan Tech | 27 | 17 | 21 | 15 | 80 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Davenport | 14 | 23 | 13 | 11 | 61 |
|
Michigan Tech | 24 | 21 | 24 | 14 | 83 |
| MICHIGAN TECH vs. Davenport | |
| Dates | Friday-Saturday, February 12-13, 2021 |
| Times | 3:30 p.m. | 3:30 p.m. EST |
| Location | SDC Gymnasium | Houghton, Mich. |
| Radio | Mix 93.5 FM (Mitch Lake) |
| Online Audio | Pasty.net |
| Video Stream | Friday | Saturday - Stretch Portal |
| Game Notes | MTU vs. Davenport |
| Live Stats | Friday | Saturday |
| Twitter.com/mtuwbb | |
| Facebook.com/michigantechwomensbasketball | |
| Tech's Record | 10-1 | 10-1 GLIAC |
| Davenport's Record | 4-7 | 4-7 GLIAC |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – No. 23 Michigan Tech women's basketball hopes to extend its eight-game winning streak Friday and Saturday afternoon in Houghton against Davenport University. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. both days. The Huskies are fresh off a road sweep of Saginaw Valley State University, including an 80-70 victory in double overtime last Saturday. Fans can listen to the action this weekend on Mix 93.5 FM or pasty.net. Livestream and statistics are available via Stretch Internet Portal.
Junior Ellie Mackay leads the Huskies with 15.3 points per game. Resurgent redshirt freshman Jordan Ludescher is second with 11.1 points. She reels in a team high 6.2 rebounds. Sophomore Katelyn Meister gradually increased her minutes since starting her first game against Lake Superior State on January 22. Meister marked season highs in points (13) and minutes (35) Saturday against the Cardinals. Sophomore Alex Rondorf notched her fourth double-figure outing of the year Saturday. The West Bend, Wisconsin native has only missed one free throw through 11 games.
HUSKIES STRENGTH: Despite going to double-overtime against Saginaw Valley State Saturday, the Huskies still boast the No. 6 defense in Division II and allow opponents just 52.3 points per game. That tops the GLIAC by more than five points per contest over Grand Valley State (57.9 points against). Cassidy Trotter is a major part of the defensive effort and ranks fifth in the conference with 24 steals.
LAST TIME OUT: Friday Sara Dax had 14 points off the bench to lead MTU to a 63-52 win over Saginaw Valley State. The Huskies limited the Cardinals top scorers and committed just 12 turnovers to compliment an efficient offensive day. Dax went 7-for-9 from the field and Ludescher chipped in 11 points. Ellie Mackay scored nine points and had eight rebounds.
Saturday, the Huskies required two overtime periods to down Saginaw Valley State 80-70 in the highest scoring affair to date. Ellie Mackay put the finishing touches on the win with two cold-blooded 3-point makes in the second extra session and led the team with 22 points at James O'Neill Jr. Arena. Michigan Tech led 29-25 at halftime and SVSU's Maddie Barrie failed to find the mark on three tries at the end of regulation. In the first overtime, the Cardinals became the first team to score more than 60 points against the Huskies this season but it still was not enough.
NATIONALLY RANKED: The Michigan Tech women's basketball team holds the No. 23 spot in this week's WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. It is the first time this season the Huskies (10-1) have garnered National rankings attention with 89 rankings points. Michigan Tech was also ranked No. 4 in the Midwest region in the D2SIDA NCAA Division II poll released on Monday.
In the WBCA National Rankings Poll, Lubbock Christian (9-0) took the No. 1 spot with 21 first place votes, followed by Lander (10-0), Charleston, WV (9-0), Drury (11-1), and West Texas A&M (12-1). Fellow GLIAC institution Grand Valley State (10-1) joined the Huskies in the poll and slotted in at No. 11. GVSU is also ranked No. 2 in the Midwest Region.
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS: Davenport (4-7, 4-7 GLIAC) is playing well, having notched back-to-back wins over Lake Superior State at home. Friday, the Panthers cruised to a 79-49 win, their largest margin of victory since December, 2019. Toni Grace took in her ninth career 20-plus point game with 25. The following day, Davenport defeated LSSU 77-57. Grace again paced the Panthers with a career high 33 points and shot 11-for-18 from the field.
Picked to finish last in the South Division in the annual GLIAC pre-season coaches' poll, the Panthers are tied with Saginaw Valley State for fifth place, three points shy of Wayne State for fourth. Davenport features a young lineup with Courtney McInerney as the lone senior.
Junior guard Toni Grace ranks sixth in the GLIAC with 18.1 points per game in her third year as a starter. Grace shoots 43-percent from the field and 37-percent from beyond the arc. She averaged 13.7-points per game last season and is also an excellent free throw shooter.
Sophomore Scout Nelson was the only player to start all 28 games for the Panthers a year ago. So far, Nelson has scored at a rate of 9.5 points per game with 4.5 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Emily Lange is effective at forward at 10.6 points per game along with 4.7 boards.
Last season Davenport amassed a 7-21 overall record and went 2-18 in the GLIAC. The Panthers defeated Michigan Tech last January in Grand Rapids 81-66, but the Huskies got revenge a month later 74-60 at SDC Gymnasium.
Davenport switched from NAIA Division II to the GLIAC at the start of the 2017-18 season and Rick Albro is in his fourth season as head coach.
WIN STREAK: The Huskies have won eight straight games for the first time in nearly three years. The last time Michigan Tech won 10 games in a row was Jan. 8-Feb. 14, 2015. The team finished 19-8 in a first place tie for the GLIAC North Division title.
