PREVIEW: Huskies return home for Alumni Weekend

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech women's basketball is home this week to face No. 12 Grand Valley State Thursday, January 20 at 5:30 p.m., followed by Davenport on Saturday, January 22 at 12 p.m. The Huskies are back to their winning ways after the holiday break, with recent conference wins over Wisconsin Parkside and Wayne State. Tech rose to first place in the GLIAC North Division at 5-1, 10-4 overall. Both of this week's contests can be heard on Mix 93.5 FM and watched via the Huskies Stretch Internet Portal, with live statistics.

LAST TIME OUT

• Alex Rondorf scored 21 points to help MTU over Wayne State 66-60 last Thursday at Wayne State Fieldhouse. Rondorf shot 8-for-12 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, leading to her selection Monday as GLIAC North Division Player of the Week. 
• The Huskies led 30-29 at halftime. Katelyn Meister was especially effective in the second quarter with 10 points and a total of 15. Ellie Mackay also reached double figures with 12 while Sara Dax neared double-double territory with eight points and eight rebounds. Daisy Ansel contributed seven points, four rebounds off the bench.
• The Huskies shot 41-percent (22-for-53) and 33-percent (7-for-21) from downtown. Sloane Zenner made three blocks in her first start of the year and Mackay passed a team-high six assists.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS

• Grand Valley State is up two positions to No. 12 in the WBCA Division II national rankings this week after a 67-59 win over Ferris State at home on Thursday. Saturday's bout with Lake Superior State was postponed but the Lakers are currently on an eight-game win streak. Notably, GVSU has an exhibition victory over the University of Michigan and dismantled Davenport 73-38 on January 10.
• With both the Huskies and Lakers inside the top-25 last year, Michigan Tech won both road games at GVSU Fieldhouse, including one 54-52 on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot by Ellie Mackay from well beyond the arc. Grand Valley was ranked No. 9 at the time.
• Junior guard Emily Spitzley leads the team with 12.6 points per game and 5.2 rebounds. 
• Spitzley (Fowler, Mich.) had back-to-back 20 point performances in wins over Davenport and Ferris State last week. Spitzley finished with 20 points on Monday and 22 points on Thursday, averaging 21 points per game this week.
• She shot 50-percent from the floor and 53-percent from three, making 10 threes on 19 attempts.
• Spitzley also grabbed seven boards and finished with a steal and one block.
• Junior forward Hannah Kulas is also dangerous at 12.1 points and 5.1 boards, along with a team-best 47 steals.
• Head coach Mike Williams is in his seventh season at the helm.
• Similar to the Huskies, the Lakers fell to Ashland in their Midwest Region tournament opener 68-60 in Missouri.

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• Davenport has lost three straight games with one postponement (at home against Lake Superior State) last week. Saturday, the Panthers led 39-37 at halftime, but fell 72-55 to Ferris State after posting just seven points in the third quarter. DU continues to search for its first GLIAC victory (0-7). 
• Travis Schuba was announced as interim head coach in April after spending one season as lead assistant for the Panthers in 2020-21. Schuba served previously as head boys basketball coach at Traverse City Central High School for three years.
• Senior guard Toni Grace (Fishers, Indiana) leads the team with 10.7 points per game and 3.0 rebounds. 
• Junior guard Scout Nelson (7.9 rpg) and freshman forward Lillee Gustafson (5.5) take care of the bulk of the rebounding duties. Gustafson has had two 15 rebounds games this winter.
• Davenport plays at Northern Michigan Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. before traversing west to the Keweenaw peninsula.

TECH GLIAC RANKS

• Points - 72.5 (2nd)
• Rebounds - 35.9 (7th)
• Free Throw Percentage - 78.1 (3rd)
• Field Goal Percentage - 46.3 (1st)
• Steals - 8.6 (1st)
• Blocks - 2.9 (5th)
• Defense - 65.2 (6th)
• Assists - 14.7 (5th)
• Turnovers - 13.1 (3rd)
• 3-Point Percentage - 32.3 (6th)

HUSKIES NATIONAL RANKS

• The Huskies rank 10th in NCAA Division II for field goal percentage at 46.3-percent. Through 14 games, Tech has converted 401 of 866 shot attempts. That percentage also tops the GLIAC.
• The Huskies rank 19th in the nation with a 78-percent free throw percentage (118-151). Tech made all eight free throw attempts against Wayne State Thursday night.

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 by captains Ellie Mackay (Novi, Michigan), Jordan Ludescher (Glen Flora, Wisconsin), and Katelyn Meister (Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin). All three were integral starters and shared a heavy workload this season prior to Ludescher's injury after the departures 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. Michigan Tech matched a program record with 19 wins in a row during the regular season.

IF YOU'RE GOING

• Michigan Tech athletics recommends masking for safety against the spread of Covid-19 inside the SDC Gymnasium.
• Michigan Tech men's and women's basketball alumni will be recognized at halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game.
• A special halftime performance of the Michigan Tech dance team will also take place at halftime of Saturday's games.

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