PREVIEW: Huskies host pair of conference opponents this week

HOUGHTON, Mich. - Michigan Tech women's basketball is home for the first time in almost a month Thursday night against Wisconsin-Parkside, hoping to start the New Year with a win in conference play. The Huskies are 3-1 in the GLIAC and 8-4 overall. 

LAST TIME OUT

• Shooting struggles continued against Lindenwood in a 75-59 road loss on December 19 in St. Charles, Missouri. The Lions shot 55-percent from the floor and outscored the Huskies 26-13 in the second quarter to draw separation on the scoreboard. Despite the loss, Ellie Mackay posted 26 points. The Huskies have lost three straight games for the first time this season. 
• MTU converted 2 of 13 shots from beyond the arc (15-percent) and was out-rebounded 40-27. Tech committed 11 turnovers and caused 18. Katelyn Meister had 17 points, seven rebounds and Alex Rondorf pitched in 10 points and three boards.

SCOUTING THE RANGERS

• Wisconsin Parkside postponed its game against Purdue Northwest on New Year's Day in Kenosha. The Rangers suffered a pair of losses in the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada prior to the holiday break. 
• Parkside fell 78-66 to No. 9 ranked Tampa and 72-58 to Montana State Billings. The Rangers have lost four straight and is 2-2 on the road this season.
• Senior guard Alyssa Nelson was named preseason GLIAC player of the year. The New Berlin, Wisconsin native leads the conference and ranks seventh in Division II with 21.6 points per game. She has a pair of games over 30 points, including 32 against Lindenwood on December 12. 
• Last season, Nelson led the team in points, steals, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage. She averaged 19.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and two steals and was named first team All-GLIAC and All-GLIAC Defensive Team member. Nelson combined for 43 points against the Huskies in a pair of February contests last spring.
• Senior combo guard Hannah Plockelman (New Berlin, Wis.) leads the team with 4.7 rebounds per game. She recorded a double double of 20 points, 11 rebounds against Lewis on November 27.
• Jen Conely is in her third season as head coach. She led the team to a 16-14 record (12-8 GLIAC) in 2019-20 and a trip to the conference semifinals.
• Parkside scores 71.7 points (third) and allows 70.0 points to opponents (T-eighth). The Rangers rank last in rebounds (32.8 rpg), eighth in steals (6.9 spg), and 11th in blocks (1.4 bpg). 

SCOUTING THE PRIDE

• Purdue Northwest last played on December 20 and lost to Quincy in non-conference play 71-62 in Hammond, Indiana. Two days prior, the Pride won a triple overtime thriller 82-80 over Indianapolis in Westville. It was the team's second straight trip to overtime. PNW is scheduled to play Northern Michigan in Marquette on Thursday, before making the trek to Houghton.
• Junior guard Savaya Brockington leads the offense with 13.7 points per game. From Indianapolis, Brockington was All-GLIAC second team in 2020-21 and PNW Female Athlete of the Year after starting all 19 games and leading the squad in points (15.0 ppg), field goals, 3-pointers, and free throw percentage.
• The Pride score 66.5 points per game (seventh) and allow 70.0 points to opponents (T-eighth). The team pulls in 36.8 rebounds (ninth), 13.7 assists (sixth), and 7.5 steals (fifth). PNW is shooting 41-percent from the field and 29-percent from 3-point range. They make 17 turnovers on average.
• Courtney Locke was named head coach of the program in April 2019. She served in various coaching roles for 13 years at the Division I level including at Texas San Antonio, California Santa Barbara, Central Florida, Lipscomb, and most recently at the University of Hawaii. Last year, the Pride finished 4-15 overall and fell 81-41 to Ashland in the opening round of the GLIAC Tournament.

FOR THE HUSKIES

• The Huskies average 71.3 points per game (fourth) and allow 64.8 points to opponents (sixth).
• Ellie Mackay (Novi, Michigan) leads the team with 16.4 points per game (third in the GLIAC) and is shooting 42.9-percent from the field, including 32.1-percent from beyond the arc.
• Alex Rondorf has started all 12 games this season and is averaging 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest. Both figures are ahead of her 2020-21 pace of 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds a year ago.
• Jordan Ludescher remains out of the lineup (injury) this season. Ludescher provided a strong post presence last season and was named All-GLIAC Second Team as a 22 game starter. She averaged 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman. Ludescher played only this year's opening game against Lewis and recorded eight points and 22 minutes.
• Katelyn Meister (Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin) posted 29 total points against Drury and Lindenwood last weekend. She is averaging 11.3 points per game with 12 starts at guard, well ahead of her 5.0 points per game average last year.

HUSKIES NATIONAL RANKS

• The Huskies rank 33rd in NCAA Division II in assist to turnover ratio (1.10) with 173 assists and 157 turnovers through 12 games. The team ranked 12th in the category prior to the Missouri road trip.

GLIAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

• North: Purdue Northwest's Dash Shaw, a sophomore guard from Crown Point, Ind., led the Pride in a triple-overtime victory over UIndy last Saturday. Shaw recorded her third straight 20-point outing in the win by posting a career-high 26, including the game-winning layup with less than a second remaining in the third OT. She finished 10 for 13 at the free-throw line and 8 of 18 (44%) overall from the field during a career-high 49 minutes.
• South: Sophomore forward Maddie Voelker (Goodrich, Mich.) had 19 points, four rebounds and two assists in Northwood's 91-48 win over Ohio Dominican in 20 minutes of action. She was 7-10 from the floor overall, 1-2 from 3-point range, and 4-4 from the foul line. For the season, Voelker is shooting 95.8 percent from the foul line (23-24), good for second in the GLIAC.

REIGNING CHAMPS

• Michigan Tech women's basketball returns 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 in part by captains Ellie Mackay (Novi, Michigan), Jordan Ludescher (Glen Flora, Wisconsin), and Katelyn Meister (Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin). All three were integral starters and will likely share a heavy workload this season following the departure 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.

2021-22 GLIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON RANKINGS

North

1. Michigan Tech 56 (8)

2. Ferris State 44 (3)

     Parkside 44

4. Northern Michigan 42

5. Purdue Northwest 23

6. Lake Superior State 16

South

1. Grand Valley State 44 (9)

2. Northwood 35 (2)

3. Wayne State 33

4. Saginaw Valley State 29

5. Davenport 15