PREVIEW: Huskies make trip to Missouri

HOUGHTON, Mich. - The Huskies hit the road to play No. 2 Drury University Saturday, December 18 at 6:45 p.m. EST followed by Lindenwood University Sunday, December 19 at 5 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on Mix 93.5 FM. The Huskies received votes in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top-25 Division II poll.

LAST TIME OUT

• Michigan Tech's five-game win streak ended Saturday afternoon against Ferris State 80-74 at SDC Gymnasium. The Bulldogs scored 50 points in the first half and took over the top spot in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate North Division at 4-0 (10-1 overall). The Huskies fell to 3-1 (8-2 overall) as the Bulldogs won their 10th straight game.
• Mallory McCartney led the Bulldogs with 22 points, including 7-12 from beyond the arc. Adrienne Anderson also posted 20 points and five assists for FSU. Alex Rondorf topped her career-high with 21 points for the Huskies for a 40 point week.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• The Drury Panthers moved up one spot in this week's NCAA-II coaches' poll and are ranked number two nationally. Drury is 11-1 and had been ranked third for the previous three weeks. Drury has appeared int the top-25 rankings for 123 consecutive weeks.
• Drury topped Harris-Stowe State 103-46 without all-American Paige Robinson (foot injury). Senior Kaylee Damitz totaled 20 points, including 15 in the first quarter. Six other players made it to double figures.
• The Panthers average 66.3 points per game and have outscored their opponents by an average of 18.7 points. DU is shooting 47-percent overall and 42-percent from the 3-point arc. The Panthers already have three wins over top-25 ranked opponents, including No. 6 Central Missouri and No. 18 Minnesota Duluth.
• Alana Findley has four double-doubles (T-21st in nation) and 27 steals (T-13th in nation).
• Paige Robinson is tied for sixth nationally with 62 made free throws.

SCOUTING THE LIONS

• The Lindenwood women's basketball team (3-5) picked up a 67-65 win over Parkside (5-5) on Sunday in Kenosha, Wis. Lindenwood hosts Christian Brothers at 6 p.m. in St. Charles on Wednesday before the Huskies come to town Sunday.
• So far the Lions have been good offensively (70.1 ppg) but porous on defense (77.5 points against). 
• Graduate student guard Julia Ruzevich leads the team with 19.1 points per game (31st in Division II). Resevich was a first-team all-GLVC selection who scored a career-high 17.1 points per game in 2020-21. She also tallied 10.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and finished second in the nation in double-doubles, with the fourth most rebounds per game in a single season in team NCAA-era history (10.7). She posted a season-high 32 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri St. Louis on December 4.
• Lindenwood went 11-9 overall last season playing all GLVC opponents. Michigan Tech has not played Lindenwood in the last ten years.

HUSKIES AND OPPONENT NATIONAL STATS

• The Huskies rank 12th in NCAA Division II in assist to turnover ratio (1.22) with 149 assists and 122 turnovers through ten games.
• The Huskies rank 11th in the nation in field goal percentage (47-percent) with 290 made baskets on 614 attempts.
• The Huskies commit 12.2 turnovers per game, good for 13th fewest in NCAA Division II.
• Drury ranks first in the country in assists with 189 total assists through 12 games.
• Drury ranks fourth in the nation in points per game averaging 85.0 points for a total of 1,020. Michigan Tech is 48th (73.5 ppg) in the same category.
• Drury leads the country in total steal (153) and is 20th in steals per game (12.8 spg).
• Drury ranks 22nd in the country with 8.3 3-pointer made per game.
• Drury leads the country in 3-point field goal percentage (42-percent).
• Lindenwood ranks tied for 30th in the nation in assists per game at 16.6.
• Lindenwood ranks tied for 26th in the nation in blocks per game at 4.5.
• The Huskies rank 11th in the nation in field goal percentage (47-percent) with 290 made baskets on 614 attempts.

GLIAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

• Senior guard Alyssa Nelson (New Berlin, Wis.) led the Rangers in scoring through all three of their games this weekend. She totaled 23 points on Thursday against Davenport, then scored 24 points against #19 Grand Valley State on Saturday. Nelson finished off the impressive weekend with 32 points on Sunday against Lindenwood. Nelson is currently averaging a team-leading 21.2 points per game, along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The Rangers will be traveling to Las Vegas, Nev. This week to compete in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, with a game scheduled for Friday against Tampa, and a game on Saturday against MSU Billings.
• Saginaw Valley State junior guard Kaitlyn Zarycki (Niles, Mich.) posted 28 points in the 80-72 victory over the Timberwolves. The junior also grabbed seven rebounds and posted four assists. Zarycki's performance earned her the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week for the third straight week. Zarycki is currently leading the conference with 22.6 points per game, and is also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game and 3.0 assists per game for SVSU.

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