Huskies galvanize to beat Warriors
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wayne State (7-11,4-7 GLIAC) | 24 | 34 | 58 |
|
Michigan Tech (6-15,3-9 GLIAC) | 42 | 36 | 78 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Dan Gherezgher led the way with 20 points and the Michigan Tech men's basketball team posted a comprehensive 78-58 win over Wayne State at SDC Gymnasium Thursday night.
The Huskies scored 23 points off turnovers and four players made it to double-figures, including Marcus Tomashek (18), Pete Calcaterra (11), and Adam Hobson (10). Tech played with the lead from the opening minute and shot 48.3 percent from the floor to collect their third win in conference play.
With back-to-back victories, the Huskies (6-15, 3-9) remain in contention to qualify for the GLIAC Tournament with a 5-4 home record. Wayne State (7-11, 4-7) dropped its fourth straight.
"When we have a good start, we usually stay aggressive and finish the game strong," Gherezgher said. "I think we showed we've matured from where we were earlier in the season by not letting this one slip. The coaches really pulled us together and helped us keep our focus. We realized we didn't need to force anything. Just keep making the right reads and keep playing hard."
"We've broken it down to just playing possession by possession and keeping things simple," said head coach Josh Buettner. "We talked about building off Saturday's win and being the aggressors on our home court. The start was huge for us making a couple of shots and then getting a couple of stops."
The Huskies passed 11 assists and committed seven turnovers. Calcaterra and Gherezgher added two steals apiece and Gherezgher swatted two blocks.
"We took care of the basketball and made good, quick passes, which has been a Michigan Tech staple over the years," Buettner said. "That's what we are trying to get back to with this young team. Even when we weren't shooting consistently from the 3-point line, we found other ways to score. Our guys have worked hard all year and our players are seeing the progress themselves which helps with their confidence as well."
Gherezgher shot 7-for-15 from the field and Tomashek was also efficient (8-for-14). Tyler Robarge and Dawson Nordgaard added five points each off the bench.
The Huskies shot 48.3 percent overall (29-60), including 26 percent from downtown (6-23). Wayne State won the board battle 41-31 with 10 rebounds on the offensive glass. Kaimen Lennox scored 17 points for the Warriors.
Michigan Tech moved above Davenport for ninth place in the GLIAC standings with six regular season games still to play. Wayne State and Purdue Northwest are one game clear of the Huskies in a tie for the final postseason position.
The Huskies take on Saginaw Valley State (12-9, 6-5) Saturday at 3 p.m. at SDC Gymnasium.
