MTU Men's B-Ball on the road
(Courtesy of MTU Athletics)
The Michigan Tech men’s basketball team will play at Northwood for the first of two meetings against the Timberwolves Thursday (Jan. 26) and Hillsdale for the only time Saturday (Jan. 28).
The Series
Michigan Tech leads the all-time series with Northwood 40-16 and Hillsdale 28-24.
Coach Luke
Head coach Kevin Luke enters his 18th season as head coach of the Huskies. He is 309-197 all-time at Michigan Tech. Luke is a four-time GLIAC Coach of the Year and was the 2002-03 NABC National Coach of the Year.
Stepping Up
Freshman Ben Stelzer scored a career-high 21 points thanks to a career-high six 3-pointers against Ferris State. The Manitowoc, Wis., native shot 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-8 from behind the arc and recorded two assists and two steals. He ranks 15th in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.388) and 11th in 3-pointers made per game (1.8).
Another Fantastic Freshman
Freshman Phil Romback posted career-highs in both points (seven) and rebounds (seven) against Grand Valley State. The Black Creek, Wis., native is shooting .733 (11-15) from the free throw line, third best on the team.
Unstoppable on Thursdays and Sundays
Michigan Tech is undefeated on Thursdays (4-0) and Sundays (1-0) this season.
Haidar Dominates
Junior Ali Haidar ranks third in the league in both scoring (18.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). The Windsor, Ont., native has grabbed 128 defensive rebounds, more than any other player in the league.
Shooting Matters
Michigan Tech ranks 17th in the nation in field goal percentage (.499) and 15th in 3-point shooting (.406). Tech is the only school to have more than one player ranked in the top-10 in the league in field goal percentage, sophomore Austin Armga is seventh (.561), junior Ali Haidar eighth (.553) and senior Mike Hojnacki ninth (.549). Don’t forget about defense. The Huskies are 6-0 this season when they hold their opponents shooting percentage under 40-percent.
Last Time Out
Michigan Tech shot a season-low 35-percent from the field in a 64-50 loss to Grand Valley State Saturday (Jan. 21).
Looking Ahead
Michigan Tech will play a pair of GLIAC South Division opponents next week. The Huskies will host Findlay Thursday (Feb. 2) and Wayne State Saturday (Feb. 4).
Posted by Jerry Taylor