Panthers topple Huskies 90-77
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Davenport (6-12,2-6 GLIAC) | 53 | 37 | 90 |
|
Michigan Tech (4-13,1-7 GLIAC) | 42 | 35 | 77 |
HOUGHTON, Mich. - Three freshmen, Dan Gherezgher, Nate Abel, and Marcus Tomashek reached the 20-point plateau but Michigan Tech men's basketball fell 90-77 to Davenport at SDC Gymnasium Thursday night. Gherezgher led the Huskies with 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting, but the Panthers put up 40 points in the paint, led by Marcedus Leech Jr., who finished with 28 points.
MTU dropped its second straight and fell to 4-13, 6-12 in GLIAC matchups. Davenport improved to 6-12, 2-6 GLIAC.
The Panthers shot a season best 61.4-percent from the floor, including 53-percent from beyond the arc (10-19). DU excelled in the first half, shooting an impressive 69.7-percent (23-42) for a 53-42 advantage at the break. The Huskies had a positive start and a 7-2 lead after an early three from Tomashek, but Leech Jr. put the Panthers back in front with a steal and a layup on the fast break at the 8:06 mark.
Michigan Tech again took the lead 31-26 with six minutes to play before halftime, but the Panthers responded with a 27-11 run, capped by 21 points from Leech Jr. through 20 minutes.
After DU stretched the score to 75-49 by the 10:23 mark of the second half, the Huskies cut the deficit back to 11 (88-77). It was as close as they would come.
Tomashek tied his season high 20 point total and shot 7-for-16 from the field, including 6-for-13 from downtown. Gherezgher made it to 21 points for the second time this season and approached his season-high of 27 scored against McKendree on November 13.
Abel continued his stretch of improved offensive output with a season high 20 points. After posting a combined 27 points through his first 13 games this winter, Abel has tallied 47 points in his last four.
The Huskies held a positive assist-to-turnover ratio of 15-13 and were narrowly outpaced in total rebounds 29-28. Tech shot 46.8-percent as a team, with 14 of 39 makes from behind the 3-point line (14-39). The team made just seven trips to the free throw line with five makes.
Michigan Tech (4-13, 1-7) is back at SDC Gymnasium Saturday to take on Grand Valley State at 3 p.m. The first 600 fans in attendance at the men's and women's basketball doubleheader will receive a free t-shirt at the gate.
