Tech Men Host Minnesota Duluth to Open Season
| MICHIGAN TECH HOSTS MINNESOTA DULUTH |
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| Date | Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015 |
| Time | 7 p.m. (ET) |
| Location | SDC Gym, Houghton, Mich. |
| Radio | WKMJ Mix 93.5 FM |
| Online Audio | Pasty.net |
| Video Stream | portal.stretchinternet.com/mtu |
| Live Stats | MichiganTechHuskies.com |
| Game Notes | Michigan Tech | UMD |
| Tech Record | 0-0, 0-0 GLIAC |
| UMD Record | 2-1, 0-0 NSIC |
| FAN INFORMATION |
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| Tickets |
BuyHuskiesTickets.com SDC Ticket Office (906-487-2073) |
| Prices | Reserved: $12 Adult General Admission: $9 Youth General Admission: $5 Tech Students Free w/ID |
| Parking | $5 per vehicle Lots 22, 23, 24 |
| Arena Info | SDC Information Page |
THIS WEEK'S NOTES
MONROE AND HEATH STRONG IN DEBUT
Freshmen Kyle Monroe and Bryan Heath both played well in their first games as Huskies vs. Finlandia last week. Monroe notched nine points and a game-high 14 rebounds (10 in the first half). Heath had 13 points and four rebounds.
HELLER POSTS 16 IN EXHIBITION
Luke Heller scored a game-high 16 points in Tech's 79-51 exhibition win over Finlandia last Wednesday (Nov. 11). He shot 7-for-10 in the game and added seven rebounds and four assists. Heller is Tech's top returning scorer, having averaged 9.2 points per game in 2014-15.
GORDON SCORES 11 ON FIVE SHOTS
Sophomore guard Dillon Gordon made 4-of-5 field goals including 3-of-4 3-pointers in the game vs. Finlandia. The 5-10 Gordon shot 39 percent from long range a year ago with 21 of his 28 made field goals coming from behind the arc.
THE PROGRAM
Michigan Tech is coming off its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2014-15. The Huskies went 19-9 a year ago and have amassed 910 wins in program history. Over the last five years, Tech has won 97 games — just under 20 per season.
REPLACING AN ALL-AMERICAN
For the third consecutive season, Michigan Tech will attempt to replace an All-American who graduated from the program. Ali Haidar (2012-13), Austin Armga (2013-14) and Ben Stelzer (2014-15) all three gained All-America status in their senior seasons.
THE SENIORS
The Huskies' roster boasts four seniors—forwards Luke Heller, Kyle Stankowski and Connor McLeod and guard Jordan Chartier. Chartier (10.1 points per game) Heller (9.2) and Stankowski (8.5) ranked second, third and fourth on the team in scoring a year ago, respectively. Heller and Stankowski are penciled in for big roles in 2015-16. Chartier is currently out with injury, with his return this season in question.
THE MATCHUP
Michigan Tech and Minnesota Duluth will square off for the 61st time in the all-time series. The Bulldogs own a 31-29 edge after the first 60 meetings. Tech has a two-game streak over UMD including a 60-58 win in Duluth last year. Three of the last five games in the series have been decided by two points or fewer.
COACH LUKE
Head coach Kevin Luke has coached in more than 600 career games as Michigan Tech's skipper, with a 380-227 record (.626 winning percentage). Luke is in his 22nd season on the bench for the Huskies and has led Tech to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and six GLIAC Titles. He is a four-time GLIAC Coach of the Year and was the 2002-03 NABC National Coach of the Year. The Huskies have had seven 20-win seasons under Luke.
TEAM STRENGTHS
Last season, Michigan Tech ranked among the national leaders in several statistical categories. The Huskies were fifth in fewest turnovers per game (9.9), 11th in free throw percentage (76.5), 15th in 3-point percentage (40.7) and 23rd in scoring defense (64.8).
NEXT UP
Tech will travel to Owensboro, Ky., for a two-game classic. The Huskies face Southern Wesleyan on Friday, Nov. 27, and host Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday, Nov. 28.