Huskies overmatch Rangers in GLIAC quarterfinals
![[7] Parkside](https://cdn.prestosports.com/action/cdn/logos/id/jildtf3pqqluappz.png)
![[2] Michigan Tech](https://cdn.prestosports.com/action/cdn/logos/id/gh9otso8jr07yphu.png)
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
[7] Parkside (14-14,10-9 GLIAC) | 32 | 21 | 53 |
|
[2] Michigan Tech (21-6,16-4 GLIAC) | 30 | 36 | 66 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. - Owen White tallied 20 points and Trent Bell notched a double-double to help No. 2 seed Michigan Tech to a 66-53 home win over No. 7 seed Wisconsin Parkside in the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinals Wednesday night at SDC Gymnasium. The Huskies trailed 32-30 at halftime but went on a 13-2 run at the midway point of the second half to pull away from the Rangers and improve to 21-6 overall (16-4 GLIAC) this season.
As the highest remaining seed in the tournament, Tech earned the right to host the semifinals and championship games in Houghton this weekend. The Huskies will face No. 3 seed Northern Michigan in the semifinals Saturday, March 5 at 12 p.m.
Michigan Tech went ahead 15-4 in the opening minutes of the first half. The Rangers battled back and went into the locker room on an 8-0 run for a two-point lead at the break. Both teams struggled to score early in the second half, with just one basket from each side just prior to the first media timeout. Brad Simonsen sparked the offense with a 3-pointer at the 13:50 mark and Tech lengthened its margin to nine with eight minutes to play. Trent Bell put away back-to-back 3-pointers with under five minutes remaining to slam the door on any Parkside comeback attempt.
"Coach Reigel is one of the best coaches in the league," said head coach Josh Buettner. "I knew that even though they were without a couple of their top players, he was going to have a plan to make it into a game they could win. They did a good job shutting down a lot of what we wanted to do offensively in that first half but we stayed composed. In the second half, we worked hard on the glass and that's ultimately why I think we were successful. It was a good win for our program."
The Huskies out-rebounded the Rangers 36-31 and shot 48.2-percent from the field (27-56). Bell put away 3-5 from long range and ended with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and a pair of steals. White crossed the 20 point threshold for the 10th time this season and added five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. He was efficient on the floor, making 8 of 16 shots, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. Carter Johnston also vaulted into double-figures with 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Tech passed 16 assists as a team and committed 12 turnovers.
In the absence of leading scorer Tray Croft, Jamir Simpson led the Rangers with 17 points and shot 7-for-9. Rasheed Bello collected 13 points with five rebounds and Ramar Evans had a game-high eight rebounds to go with five points. Parkside shot 34.5-percent (19-55) and 25-percent (6-for-24) from downtown.
Hoping to make another long postseason run with six seniors on the roster, the Huskies received votes in this week's NABC Division II National Rankings poll. They were also ranked No. 6 in the Midwest Region. The Huskies won both regular-season matchups against rival Northern Michigan by a combined margin of just three points.
