Tech WBB Resumes GLIAC Play at No. 1 GVSU and Davenport

HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech women's basketball team returns from the holiday break and takes to the road to resume GLIAC play. The Huskies first stop in Allendale, Michigan, for a Thursday night tilt against Grand Valley State before heading to Davenport for a 1 p.m. tipoff Saturday.

Watch the Huskies 

All home and GLIAC games will be streamed on FloSports. With one subscription, Michigan Tech fans can watch all home and conference games in volleyball, basketball, football, soccer, and hockey. FloSports provides each subscriber access to all content and events by purchasing a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscriptions are offered in two different billing packages - monthly and annual. Discounts are available for students enrolled at GLIAC member and associate member institutions. You must subscribe with a .edu email address to be eligible. FloSports is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.

About the Lakers

Grand Valley State enters the New Year with an overall record of 10-1 and 1-0 in GLIAC Play. The Lakers were tabbed to win the GLIAC in the preseason poll and currently reside as the top-ranked team in the country for two consecutive weeks.

GVSU's lone loss was against Big Ten affiliate Ohio State (73-49) on Dec. 15.

The Lakers are the third-best shooting team in the country at a clip of 48.4 from the field and average 77.5 points per outing. Additionally, GVSU has one of the best defenses in the country, holding opponents to under 50 points a game, which ranks second in Division II.

The Lakers have a very well rounded offense, with eight players producing six or more points per outing, led by Ellie Droste with 13.1 points per game. She is joined by Abrie Cabana in double-figure scoring with 10 points per outing. Cabana leads the Lakers with 24 3-pointers made at a clip of 50 percent–averaging 2.18 3-pointers a game.

Rylie Bisballe has 12 blocks on the season while the Lakers as a team average over five blocks a game. Bisballe also leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per outing.

About the Panthers

Davenport concluded the 2023 calendar year on a two-game losing streak, falling to Hillsdale (66-61) on Dec. 28 before being handled by Ashland (99-75) on Dec. 30. Overall, DU holds a record of 2-9 while also holding an 0-1 conference ledger.

The Panthers were selected to finish eighth in the league in the preseason poll and average 57.6 points per outing. However, Davenport's opposition is posting 68.9 points per game.

Davenport is ranked first in the conference with over 17 free-throw attempts per outing with the Panther's leading scorer, Lillee Gustafson, shooting 26-of-44 from the charity stripe while producing 12.4 points a game.

Gustafson also leads the team with 8.4 rebounds per game and has posted four double-doubles this season, which ranks 41st nationally.

About the Huskies

Michigan Tech went 1-2 for the month of December but hold an overall record of 5-5 and 1-1 in the loop. The Huskies will take on the No. 1 team in the country for the second time this season, as Tech hosted then-ranked No. 1 Ashland back on Nov. 19, seeing the Eagles snap Michigan Tech's 20 game undefeated streak at home.

Most recently, the Huskies concluded nonconference play on the road, falling to Winona State (59-56) on Dec. 19. Senior guard Tessa Leece made her first career start and played 35 minutes, while Sara Dax scored a season-high 17 points to go with six rebounds. Isabella Lenz led the Huskies offensively with her eighth double-figure game of the season with 19 points and six rebounds.

As a team, MTU is averaging 65.3 points per game on 44.9 percent from the field–which ranks 26th nationally. The Huskies have found success beyond the arc this season with a conference-leading 37.3 percent from 3-point land, making 6.9 3-pointers a game.

Lenz also leads the team at the free-throw line, making 39 free-throws on 95.1 percent, which ranks fourth in the country. As a team, Tech has the nation's-best free-throw percentage, shooting 85 percent from the charity stripe.

One Last Thing

First year guard Alyssa Wypych has knocked down 20 3-pointers this season and averages two 3-pointers a game while shooting 44.4 percent from deep–ranking 22nd nationally.