PREVIEW: Huskies bring win streak home Thursday

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech (14-3, 6-1) brings a four-game winning streak to SDC Gymnasium Thursday when they host Davenport University (7-10, 1-6) at 5:30 p.m. The Huskies welcome No. 4 Grand Valley State (16-1, 7-0) Saturday at 1 p.m. Tech ranks second in the GLIAC Standings with 11 games remaining in the regular season.

LAST TIME OUT

• Ellie Mackay posted 19 points and Sara Dax marked her first double-double of the season as Michigan Tech marched to its 12th straight victory over Northern Michigan 69-56 Saturday afternoon at Berry Events Center.
• Isabella Lenz also played important minutes and finished with 14 points and five assists.
• Michigan Tech shot 48-percent (26-54) overall, including 33-percent (5-15) from beyond the arc.
• Tech grabbed nine offensive rebounds for a total of 38, compared to 28 for NMU.
• Mackay went 6-for-13 from the floor and Lenz was an efficient 5-for-10.
• The two combined for 10 of 10 free throws and the Huskies shot 92-percent at the line.

LAST YEAR AGAINST THE PANTHERS

• Michigan Tech swept the season series with Davenport in 2021-22, with an 86-75 win in Houghton, followed by a 71-51 score in Grand Rapids. 
• Mackay led the Huskies with 25 points in the latter and Sara Dax came up just short of a double-double with 11 points, nine rebounds.
• Tech shot 44-percent from the field.
• Tech has won six straight matchups against Davenport with their last loss in Grand Rapids on January 2019.
• MTU has never lost to DU in Houghton.

ASSESSING STRENGTHS

• While the Huskies have not seen their name appear in the WBCA Top-25 National Rankings poll yet, they are in the top-10 in Division II in both free throw percentage (fifth) and turnovers per game (ninth).
• MTU committed 11 turnovers Saturday to stay under their 12.5 turnover average.
• The Huskies season low was six turnovers in a 76-63 home win over Lake Superior State on December 9 and have finished under 10 on four occasions. 
• After shooting 12-for-13 from the free throw line Saturday, the Huskies are at 79.9-percent for the season.
• Alex Rondorf and Katelyn Meister are both over 91-percent from the line and Ellie Mackay is at 89.8 with a team-high 53 makes on 59 attempts. 

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS (7-10, 1-6)

• The Panthers hired Shona Sanders this season to turn around a program that has not had a winning season since joining the NCAA Division II ranks in 2017-18.
• The team was picked to finish ninth in the league ahead of Lake Superior State with 10 newcomers on the squad.
• Last year's leading scorer Toni Grace transferred for her graduate season to Alabama A&M after putting up 12.4 points per game and 1,394 career points at DU.
• Sophomore forward Lilee Gustafson (Highland, Mich.) has picked up the slack.
• She ranks third in the GLIAC with 9.4 rebounds per game along with team highs in points (14.2) and blocks (20).
• Senior guard Scout Nelson (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.) averages 9.5 points and 3.9 rebounds with a team best 48 assists.
• Davenport took down Wayne State 75-65 last time out at home in overtime.
• Tied at 61 at the conclusion of regulation, the Panthers outscored Wayne State 14-4 in the extra session, started by a 3-point basket by Alexa Kolnitys. 
• Gustafson extended the lead with back-to-back baskets in the paint.
• Mary Liedel led the way with 17 points. She has five games in double-figures this winter.
• Jaci Walker marked a season-high 12 points off the bench.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS (16-1, 7-0)

• Grand Valley State's only blemish this year was a 69-63 home loss to Lewis University on December 31, which dropped the Lakers from No. 1 to No. 4 in the country.
• The Lakers slipped past the Huskies 74-70 on overtime the last time the two teams met in Houghton on January, 20, 2022.
• Emily Spitzley sent the game to OT by draining a 3-pointer at the end of regulation. 
• GVSU made a pair of baskets to open the extra session and made free throws to close out.
• Tech's fortunes did not turn around on the road (L, 61-45) against the nation's best defensive team.
• The Lakers then ended MTU's season in the GLIAC Semifinals in Allendale 71-57.
• Senior guard Emily Spitzley (Westphalia, Mich.) averages 15.1 points and 4.0 rebounds.
• She ranks fifth in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (42.2) and was All-GLIAC First Team as well as NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team.
• Head coach Mike Williams (eighth season) helped the Lakers go 30-2 overall last year, including 18-1 in GLIAC play as the team advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
• Top returners include Spitzley, Ellie Droste, and Rylie Bisballe.
• The Lakers have played just one ranked team through 17 games, a win over No. 20 Ferris State 78-70.
• They bring the eighth-highest scoring offense in Division II to Houghton on Saturday.

MACKAY CLIMBS ALL-TIME CHARTS

• Senior guard Ellie Mackay (Novi, Michigan) started as GLIAC Freshman of the year in 2018-19, earned GLIAC Player of the Year in 2020-21, and was again First Team All-GLIAC last season. 
• She currently ranks fourth on the Michigan Tech all-time list for career points (1,680), behind Andrea Novak(1,710), Jenny Postlewaite (1,856) and Katie Wysocky (1,943). 
• After setting a single-season record for free throw percentage last year, Mackay remains on pace to surpass Mary Fisher for best career free throw percentage (.853) set in 1987.
• Mackay also ranks 5th in all-time games played (125). Angela Guisfredi holds the record with 130 games between 2007-11.

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.

GLIAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• Paty Gallasova played a crucial role in the Parkside Rangers weekend road wins against Lake Superior State and Ferris State.
• Gallasova led the Rangers with 27 points and three assists against the Lakers.
• She followed up the performance with 20 points and eight assists against the Bulldogs.
• Gallasova has scored 20 points or more in her last three appearances and is averaging six assists per game during that stretch.

D2SIDA MIDWEST REGION RANKINGS

RV: Northern Michigan, Wisconsin Parkside