PREVIEW: Huskies close homestand this week

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech won its fourth straight game Monday, topping Northern Michigan 78-53 at the SDC Gymnasium in Houghton. The Huskies continue their three game homestand Thursday, December 9 against Lake Superior State, followed by Ferris State Saturday, December 11. Tech was ranked No. 24 in this week's NCAA Division II National Top-25 poll by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). 

LAST TIME OUT

• Katelyn Meister tallied a season high 20 points and the Huskies defeated Northern Michigan 78-53 Monday night at SDC Gymnasium in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball game.
• Meister finished 9-for-11 from the floor and 2-2 from the free throw line. She also added a team high four assists, one block, and one steal. Ellie Mackay also contributed offensively with 15 points (7-for-15) and three assists.
• The Huskies shot 54-percent overall, including 42-percent from beyond the arc.
• The Huskies pushed the pace, especially in the second half as Meister's points total steadily climbed. Each team put up 17 points in the third quarter, but the Huskies drew separation in the fourth after Sloane Zenner connected for three from the corner with a shade under three minutes to play. Tech broke NMU's full court press and cruised to a 20-7 final quarter edge. MTU limited their turnovers to eight in the contest. 
• Rondorf was effective on both ends of the court with 10 points, three steals, two rebounds, and a pair of assists on 4 of 7 shooting. Ansel pitched in nine points and Sara Dax finished with seven.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS

• Lake Superior State earned a 68-58 GLIAC win over Purdue Northwest on Saturday, December 4 in Sault Ste. Marie. Woughter led the Lakers with a career high 23 points and shot 8-16 from the field. Woughter was also 7-7 from the free throw line. Makenzie Bray also had 15 points.
• Predicted to finish sixth in the GLIAC North Division, the Lakers are led by fifth year head coach Brandon Lokken. Last season, LSSU finished 1-18 overall for 12th place in the conference.
• Mattison Rayman had a solid sophomore season and currently ranks second in the GLIAC with 10.7 rebounds per game.
• Junior guard Margot Woughter leads the team in points after missing most of last season due to injury.
• Senior forward Makenzie Bray averages 12.2 points and is shooting an efficient 59.6-percent overall.
• The Lakers are averaging 57.7 points, 34.8 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per contest and shooting 38.4 percent from the field.
• Three point shooting has been a struggle and the Lakers convert just 20.2 percent from downtown. 
• The Huskies defeated Lake Superior State 61-46 and 69-49 on back-to-back February nights last season in Houghton. Michigan Tech has not lost to the Lakers since 2008, a streak of 28 wins in a row.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS

• Ferris State comes takes on Northern Michigan Thursday night in Marquette before traveling to Houghton Saturday. The Bulldogs have won eight straight with a GLIAC sweep last week over Purdue Northwest (67-57) and Wisconsin-Parkside (87-72) at home.
• Senior guard Adrienne Anderson earned GLIAC North Division Player of the Week honors on Monday. The veteran totaled 17.5 points, six assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. She produced 18 points, six assists, and three steals Thursday and 17 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals Saturday night shooting 47.6-percent from the floor. It was the second time this season and third week in a row an FSU player received GLIAC North Player of the Week.
• The Bulldogs average 77.8 points, 41.6 rebounds, and 17.7 assists and shoot 42.1-percent overall. Kadyn Blanchard leads the offense with 15.9 points per game (fourth in the GLIAC).
• Tech downed Ferris State twice on the road last season, including 66-51 on January 29 and 63-55 on January 30. Michigan Tech leads the all-time series 54-30 in games dating back to 1981.

MACKAY LEADS THE WAY

• Junior guard Ellie Mackay averages a team high 14.8 points per game in 30.9 minutes for the Huskies. Mackay is shooting 41.5-percent overall and 27.6-percent from the 3-point line. With Jordan Ludescher out of the lineup, Mackay also leads the team with 5.3 rebounds per contest to go with 2.5 assists, and 0.6 steals.
• Last year, Mackay (Junior – Guard) earned WBCA Division II Honorable Mention All-America as well as GLIAC Player of the Year, GLIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, and GLIAC Player of the Week. She started all 22 games and averaged 15.0 points per game with a career-high 31 points at Ferris State on January 30. She also scored the winning basket as time expired to help the Huskies overcome No. 9 Grand Valley State on the road. This is Mackay's fourth season with the Huskies after she began as GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

FRESHMAN IMPRESSION

• Incoming true freshmen include six-foot guard Isabella Lenz (Prescott, Wisconsin) and 5-foot-7-inch guard Maryellen Trewhella (Houghton, Michigan). 
• Lenz has been a positive addition off the Huskies bench. She scored a career high 13 points in 22 minutes against William Jewell on Nov. 14 and shot 5-10. Lenz posted seven points in 18 minutes against Northern State. She is shooting 43-percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3-point range.

MEISTER INCREASES MINUTES

• Junior guard Katelyn Meister has increased her role this season with eight starts and 11.4 points per game (second on team). Meister averages 28.8 minutes and is shooting an effective 58.6-percent, mostly in the paint.
• Meister (Junior – Guard) started 18 games last season and averaged five points and five rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 13 points at Saginaw Valley State on February 6. This year, she has already been over the 13 point mark on two occasions, with a season high 19 points in a win over Minnesota Crookston on November 19. Meister has hit double-figures five times this fall. 

ANSEL IMPROVES

• Junior Daisy Ansel continues to improve for the Huskies at guard. Ansel posted 11 points last Saturday at Northern State and shot 5-12 in 28 minutes overall. Ansel (Comstock, Mich.) appeared in 25 games as a true freshman at Grand Valley State before transferring to Michigan Tech and redshirting last season. She helped the Lakers reach their fifth straight NCAA Tournament and played 88 minutes averaging 1.4 points and 1.0 rebounds per game. She posted a career high 14 points for Tech against Lewis on November 13 and is becoming a reliable ball distributor this season (3.0 assists per game, first on the team). 

RONDORF FROM DEEP

• Sophomore guard Alex Rondorf was a notable weapon from outside the arc last season after posting 27 made threes on 63 attempts (42.9-percent). Rondorf played 17 games off the bench for the Huskies and scored at a clip of 8.0 points per contest. 
• This year, Rondorf has increased her workload from 22.1 minutes to 29 minutes and has started all eight games. She is also ahead of her 2020-21 points average, going from 8.0 ppg to 10.1 through the early part of the season. Rondorf is shooting 40-percent from long range.

HUSKIES RANKED NO. 24 IN THE NATION

• Michigan Tech women's basketball was ranked No. 24 in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II National Top 25 poll, announced Tuesday, down one spot from last Monday.
• Last season, the Huskies topped out at No. 6 in the national rankings and reached the NCAA Division II Midwest Region semifinals. MTU appeared in the WBCA Top 25 Poll six times in 2020-21.

REIGNING CHAMPS

• Michigan Tech women's basketball returns in 2021-22 as the reigning Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament champions. Head coach Sam Clayton begins her fourth season as head coach after capturing the GLIAC Regular Season North Division title and making a trip to the NCAA Midwest Region Semifinals.
• The Huskies bring a mix of experience and youth and are led in part by captains Ellie Mackay (Novi, Michigan), Jordan Ludescher (Glen Flora, Wisconsin), and Katelyn Meister (Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin). All three were integral starters and will likely share a heavy workload this season following the departure of seniors Baillie McGirk and Cassidy Trotter.
• Tech finished 20-2 overall, including 17-1 in the GLIAC and unseated perennial powerhouse Ashland in the conference championship 74-63. The Eagles got their revenge in Springfield, Missouri when they edged the Huskies 74-65 in the NCAA Tournament.

2021-22 GLIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS

North

1. Michigan Tech 56 (8)

2. Ferris State 44 (3)

     Parkside 44

4. Northern Michigan 42

5. Purdue Northwest 23

6. Lake Superior State 16

South

1. Grand Valley State 44 (9)

2. Northwood 35 (2)

3. Wayne State 33

4. Saginaw Valley State 29

5. Davenport 15