PREVIEW: Huskies prepare for busy week of basketball

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech women's basketball hosts Northwood University at SDC Gymnasium on Thursday, January 27 at 5:30 p.m. The Huskies (11-5, 6-2 GLIAC) then travels to Marquette on Monday, January 31 to play rival Northern Michigan. Tech enters the week in second place in the GLIAC North Division, a half-game behind Ferris State (13-4, 7-2). The Huskies picked up an 80-73 road victory over the Timberwolves on December 4. Monday marks the first matchup of the season against the Wildcats. Both games can be heard on Mix 93.5 FM. 

The Huskies lead the conference in points per game (73.2), shooting percentage (46.7), and free throw percentage (79.7).

LAST TIME OUT

• Ellie Mackay picked up her first double-double of the season with 21 points, 10 rebounds to help Michigan Tech over Davenport University 86-75 Saturday afternoon on Alumni Day at the SDC Gymnasium. The Huskies led by as many as 31 points in the third quarter before a comeback effort by the Panthers fell short.
• Alex Rondorf was effective with 20 points (7-for-10). Sara Dax (12 points, six rebounds) and Daisy Ansel (11 points, two blocks) also made it to double figures.
• Tech shot an efficient 54.8-percent from the field to move to 6-2 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and 11-5 overall. Davenport remained winless in the GLIAC at 0-9 and dropped to 1-16 overall.

MACKAY GLIAC NORTH PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• For the second time this season and fourth time in her esteemed Husky career, junior guard Ellie Mackay has been named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division Player of the Week, announced on Monday (Jan. 24). 
• Mackay (Novi, Michigan) totaled 46 points in a pair of games last week. Thursday night, Mackay shot 6-for-13 and 12-for-12 from the free throw line for 25 points against No. 12 ranked Grand Valley State. Saturday, Mackay notched her first double-double of the season with 21 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. Mackay went 8-for-13 from the floor, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range over 26 minutes to help the Huskies defeat Davenport. 
• Mackay also earned GLIAC North Division Player of the Week on January 10 after scoring a career-high 36 points at home against Wisconsin-Parkside. She currently leads the squad with 18.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game and ranks third and eighth in the GLIAC in those respective categories.
• Last season, Mackay earned numerous accolades, including WBCA Division II Honorable Mention All-America, GLIAC Player of the Year, All-GLIAC First Team, and GLIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. She has also been All-GLIAC Second Team (2020-21) and GLIAC Freshman of the Year (2018-19). 
• Mackay is a member of the 1,000 points club and is currently 11th on the Michigan Tech all-time career scoring chart with 1,256 points.

ANSWERING WITH ANSEL 

• Junior guard Daisy Ansel has quietly anchored the Huskies offense with a team-high 2.8 assists per game. From Comstock, Michigan, Ansel transferred to Michigan Tech from Grand Valley State. After sitting out last year, Ansel has competently stepped in to the point guard role. She has three games in double-figures, including 11 points last time out against Davenport.
• Ansel shot 4-for-7 and 2-for-3 from the 3-point arc in 22 minutes. Ansel ranks second on the squad with 5.3 rebounds per game and shoots 40.4-percent for 7.1 points per outing.

COMING OFF THE BENCH

• Junior guard Clara Johnson (Negaunee, Mich.) averages 20.9 minutes with 4.3 points, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Huskies. She has shown marked offensive improvement and scored a career-high 15 points on November 14 at William Jewell. Johnson has three double-figure games and posted four points Saturday in 22 minutes on the court.
• Junior combo guard Sloane Zenner is another reliable option off the bench for coach Clayton. Zenner (Houghton, Mich.) struggled to stay healthy the previous two seasons but has 13 games played, including three starts this winter. Zenner averages 4.3 points per game and has been known to get hot from long range. Zenner went 3-for-5 from downtown against No. 12 Grand Valley State and put up four 3-pointers in the Huskies' first meeting with Northwood on December 4.

TECH GLIAC RANKS

• Points - 73.2 (T-1st) [42nd in NCAA Division II]
• Rebounds - 36.1 (6th)
• Free Throw Percentage - 79.7 (1st) [11th in NCAA Division II]
• Field Goal Percentage - 46.7 (1st) [9th in NCAA Division II]
• Assists - 15.4 (2nd) [49th in NCAA Division II]
• Steals - 8.6 (2nd)
• Blocks - 3.3 (4th)
• Defense - 66.4 (7th)

SCOUTING THE TIMBERWOLVES

• The Huskies handed Northwood an 80-73 loss on December 4, part of a five-game losing streak for the Timberwolves. Since then, NU has rebounded nicely and is currently riding a five-game win streak, including a 70-65 victory over Ferris State last time out. Makenzie Todd led the way with 23 points while Alana Nelson gathered 12 rebounds and Ellie Taylor passed four assists. With Todd, Taylor, and Nelson all averaging better than 10 points per game, the Timberwolves present a multi-faceted offensive threat.
• Todd (Junior - Grand Ledge, Mich.) scores at a 14.6 ppg clip and was named All-GLIAC second team a year ago. She has four games of 20 or more points at guard. 
• Nelson (Sophomore - Springport, Mich.) posted 29 points at Indianapolis in November. She averages 11 points and 6.9 rebounds and is also a capable outside shooter (46-percent from 3-point range).
• Taylor (Senior - Midland, Mich.) was a first-team All-GLIAC player in 2018-19. She missed five games last season but is back to her old form this winter, with double-digit point totals in each of her last seven games at guard.
• Autumn Haggadone took over for longtime head coach Jeff Curtis over the summer after Curtis moved into the role of Northwood Athletic Director. Haggadone served as assistant coach for four seasons and associate head coach for one.
• The Huskies split the season series with Northwood last year 1-1 with both games at SDC Gymnasium. Ashland upended the Timberwolves 67-58 in the GLIAC Quarterfinals. Then Northwood came up short 55-42 in the opening round of the NCAA Midwest Region Tournament.

SCOUTING THE CATS

• Northern Michigan plays Northwood Saturday night before hosting Michigan Tech Monday at Berry Events Center. At 8-7 overall and 3-5 in the conference, NMU sits fifth in the GLIAC North Division standings. The Huskies beat the Wildcats 78-53 in Houghton on December 6. Katelyn Meister scored a season-high 20 points and Tech took advantage 48 points in the paint, compared to 18 from NMU. Meister went 9-for-11 from the floor. 
• Since then, Northern Michigan has posted mixed results, including an overtime loss to Ferris State, a 59-45 win over Davenport, and most recently, a 61-48 loss to Grand Valley State at home last Saturday.
• Sophomore guard Makaylee Kuhn (Hilbert, Wis.) ranked second in the GLIAC last season at 19.4 points per game. She is currently 4th in the conference with 16.5 points. The Huskies contained her to 16 points on Jan. 26, 2021 and five points on Feb. 16, 2021. Kuhn broke the slump for 19 against MTU in December but still shot just 6-for-19.
• Head Coach Troy Mattson has been at the helm since 2005. His teams have qualified for the GLIAC Tournament 10 straight seasons. Last year, the Wildcats fell 61-45 to Davenport in the GLIAC Quarterfinals.
• Northern Michigan ranks ninth in the GLIAC in points (58.9 ppg), second in defense (57.3 points against), second in rebounding (39.8 rpg), and ninth in shooting percentage (36.7-percent).

REIGNING CHAMPS

• Michigan Tech women's basketball returned 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.
• The Huskies were selected to finish first in the GLIAC North Division in the GLIAC women's basketball preseason coaches' poll with eight first-place votes. The Huskies were followed by Ferris State, Wisconsin Parkside, Northern Michigan, Purdue Northwest, and Lake Superior State. Grand Valley State received nine first-place votes to take the top spot in the South Division.