PREVIEW: Tech heads to Minnesota for pair of games

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech continues its stretch of five games in ten days to begin the 2022-23 regular season at Southwest Minnesota State Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. followed by Minnesota Crookston Saturday, November 19 at 2 p.m. Both games will be on Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ and pasty.net.

LAST TIME OUT

• Alex Rondorf notched a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds helping Michigan Tech to a 64-54 win over Concordia St. Paul in non-conference basketball Tuesday afternoon at SDC Gymnasium.
• Rondorf shot 7-for-13 from the field and added two assists and two steals in the Huskies' third straight victory to start the 2022-23 campaign.
• The Huskies shot 38-percent (22-58) overall, including 30-percent from beyond the arc (8-27).
• Katelyn Meister made it to double figures with 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting with a pair of steals and a pair of blocks.
• Tech also committed 14 turnovers compared to 17 by the Golden Bears.

RONDORF EXCELS EARLY

• Rondorf leads the Huskies in four major categories, including points (14.0), rebounds (9.7), assists (2.7), and steals (1.3).
• The senior was named All-GLIAC Second Team last season as well as GLIAC All-Academic Excellence and All-GLIAC Defensive Team.
• She played 28 games and ranked second on the squad last year with 12.3 points per game.
• Rondorf also notched double-figures 15 times, including a season high 27 points against Northwood.
• She picked up her first career double-double Tuesday afternoon, with a career high 13 rebounds.

LENZ CONTINUES UPWARD TRAJECTORY

• Sophomore guard Isabella Lenz earned GLIAC Freshman of the Year after appearing in 29 games with five starts in 2021-22.
• She posted a season high 17 points at Purdue Northwest and made it to double-figures three times, averaging 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
• Lenz is averaging 24.3 minutes off the bench through three games this season and has 13.0 points (3rd), 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists (4th) to show for it.

WHAT TO SAY ABOUT MACKAY

• 2020-21 GLIAC Player of the Year Ellie Mackay was a visible part of Tuesday afternoon's win over Southwest Minnesota State.
• Selling out in the fast break for a 3-point play in the second quarter helped the Huskies gain separation and momentum early.
• Mackay is averaging 13.7 points per game (2nd) and 27.7 minutes per game (2nd).

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS

• Defeated MSU Moorhead 71-67 in NSIC first round; fell to Minnesota State 89-65 in quarterfinals at the Sanford Pentagon, committing a season high 33 turnovers.
• SMSU was picked to finish 12th overall and sixth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll.
• SMSU senior center, and only returning starter Jenna Borchers was named a "Player to Watch"
• SMSU returned eight letter winners from last season's  13-13 team that place fifth in the NSIC South and finished eighth overall with a 9-11 league mark.
• Tom Webb is in his seventh season as head coach with a 58-91 record, including 43-77 in NSIC play.
• Madison Gehloff played all 26 games and started three last season, shooting 45.6 percent from the field, averaged 4.0 points per game, and grabbed 3.7 rebounds.
• Sam Wall played all 26 games and started one. She led all returners with 7.7 points per game and had 46 made threes at a 39.7-percent clip.
• Also coming off the bench in all 26 games was sophomore guard Bri Stoltzman, who averaged 2.6 points on 51.9 percent shooting from the field.
• Sophomores Kenzie Jones, Peyton Blandin, and Sarah Conlon also return after seeing limited time last season.
• The Southwest Minnesota State women's basketball team opened its home season on Tuesday night with a 97-31 victory over Crown College inside the R/A Facility.
• SMSU, 1-2 overall, had six players score in double figures with Sam Wall leading the way with 18 points on 6 of 8 shooting with four 3-pointers.
• Jenna Borchers scored 13 points on 4 of 8 shooting with three 3-pointers, while Peyton Blandin added 12 points making 5 of 7 shots with a pair of 3-pointers.
• Kennadi Buchholz recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
• Madison Gehloff and Hannah Parsley each chipped in with 10 points.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• Crookston was selected to finish 16th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll, eighth in the North Division.
• The Golden Eagles have three senior returners, including Bren Fox (R-Sr., F/C, Norwood Young America, Minn.), Abigail Leach (Sr., G/F, Wyoming, Minn.), and Veronica Schwartz (Sr., F, Parkers Prairie, Minn.).
• Fox started 19 games in 2021-22, averaging 8.2 points, 5.6 rebounds.
• Leach started 11 games, tallying 4.0 points per game.
• Other returners include Alex Page (So., F, Grand Forks, N.D.), Lily Orazem (So., G, Onamia, Minn.), and Eden Golliher (Jr., F, Iron River, Mich.).
• The new look Golden Eagles will look to improve on last year's 4-19 (3-14 NSIC) record.
• Mike Roysland is entering his 17th season leading the University of Minnesota Crookston women's basketball program. Roysland has accumulated 135 wins in his first 16 seasons leading the Golden Eagle program. 
• Roysland is the second-winningest coach in the NCAA Division II era for all sports at Minnesota Crookston to only Steve Gust of the baseball program.
• Crookston lost to Nebraska-Kearney (L, 69-49) and Northwest Missouri State (L, 70-58) in week one.
• The Golden Eagles shot 38-percent against the Bearcats.
• Emma Miller led the offense with 17 points on 8-13 shooting with four assists.
• Another freshman, Janie Tormanen, finished with 12 points on a perfect 6-6 from the floor.
• Northwest Missouri State led by 11 at halftime.

D2SIDA REGION RANKINGS POLL (Week 1 - 11/14-15/2022)

Receiving Votes: Northwood, Missouri St. Louis

KATIE WYSOCKY ENTERS HUSKY HALL OF FAME

• Katie Wysocky is the most decorated women's basketball player in Michigan Tech history. She played for the Huskies from 2006-10 and is the all-time leader in scoring (1,943) and rebounding (1,231). Wysocky ranks first, second and third in rebounds in a season and holds the school record for points in a season (609). She is also third in career field goal percentage (54.9 percent).
• During the 2009-10 season, Wysocky was named a First Team All-American, the Midwest Region Player of the Year, and the GLIAC Player of the Year. The Huskies set a school record for wins (31) and won their second straight NCAA Midwest Regional Title. Tech won three straight GLIAC Regular Season Championships and a pair of GLIAC Tournament Championships.
• Wysocky was a four-time All-GLIAC Selection with first-team honors in her final three seasons. She was a two-time All-Midwest Region and was a Third Team All-American in 2008-09. Wysocky was the 2007 GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

LISTEN TO THE HUSKIES

• The exclusive radio carrier of Michigan Tech athletics is Mix 93.5 FM WKMJ and its partner station AM 920 WMPL.
• Fans can listen to every conference game and a selection of non-conference action all season long on local radio and online at pasty.net.
• Long-time play-by-play voice of the Huskies, Mitch Lake will be on the call for all Tech men's and women's basketball home contests.

OFF-SEASON NEWS

• Elisa Jurmu was promoted to Assistant Head Coach with the Michigan Tech women's basketball team, Head Coach Sam Clayton announced on Wednesday (August 3).
• Jurmu served as Assistant Coach for each of the past four seasons.
• Over that period, the Huskies posted a 70-39 overall record (.642), including two GLIAC North Division regular season championships, two conference tournament semifinal appearances, and one GLIAC tournament championship (2020-21).
• The Michigan Tech women's basketball team held the 15th highest grade point average in NCAA Division II in 2021-22 and was included in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 award.
• The Huskies improved their GPA to 3.734 and were one of two GLIAC schools honored (Wayne State - No. 18). Tech has been in the Top-25 for 14 of the past 15 years. Ten players earned GLIAC All-Academic Excellence honors and one more was a GLIAC All-Academic honoree.
• Michigan Tech Sports Hall of Famer Dawn Plitzuweit was named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at West Virginia on March 31.
• Plitzuweit was an All-American for the Huskies, playing from 1990-95, and was an assistant coach for the Black and Gold from 1995-98.