Tomashek paces MTU with 27 points
SAGINAW, Mich. – The No. 8 nationally-ranked Michigan Tech men’s basketball squad led by as much as 21 points, but needed a full 40 minutes to hold off Saginaw Valley State with an 80-78 decision at the James E. O’Neill Arena on Thursday evening.
Michigan Tech’s All-American, Marcus Tomashek, connected on four timely free throws, helping decide the game for the Huskies as part of his team-leading 27-point outing, as Dawson Nordgaard had a career night with 20 points on 8-12 shooting while adding 4-6 from the charity stripe to go with six rebounds—four on the offensive glass.
Gabe Smith secured his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 13 rebounds as Nate Abel finished shy of a double-double with 11 rebounds and eight points.
Michigan Tech has won four in a row for an overall standing of 15-2 and a league-best 6-1 ledger. Saginaw Valley State falters to 9-6 overall and 3-4 in the loop.
“It’s good to keep learning these lessons because one of these days we’re going to pay,” said Michigan Tech head coach Josh Buettner. “One missed rebound can get a group this talented going and it’s a snowball effect. We’re up 20 and I’m trying to preach urgency and how we’ve got to keep going and that turned into our nightmare. Dawson was huge for us and the only way we were creating offense for much of that game.”
The first 10 minutes showcased a game of runs, as the Huskies jumped out to a 13-0 lead, forcing the Cardinals to call a timeout four minutes into the contest following three 3-pointers by Tomashek and two baskets by Nordgaard in the post. Josh Terrian made it 16-0 almost five minutes into the action before SVSU scored 10-straight, forcing a Huskies’ timeout at the 12:51 mark.
The Cardinals had momentum at the midway point of the opening half, trailing by a point following a turnaround jumper by Scott II with 9:25 to play (21-20).
The Huskies used a 12-6 run over the final 3:28 of the first half to head into halftime leading by 16 following a 3-pointer by Abel with five seconds remaining.
The Black & Gold shot 58.6 percent from the field (17-29) and 52.9 percent from beyond the arc (9-17) in a well-balanced attack that saw seven players score three or more points.
The Cardinals made things interesting in the second half, outscoring the Huskies 47-33, backed by an incredible 25-point half by Xavier Thomas, who scored 11 of the Cardinals’ 16 points in the final 2:56.
The Huskies led by as much as 21 points twice early in the second half, but by the 9:26 mark, the Cardinals had cut the Huskies’ lead to nine points, reclaiming a double-digit lead moments after they caught fire.
Free throws by Abel made it an eight-point advantage with 45 seconds to play (76-68), but the Cardinals traded free throws for 3-pointers with Aiden Duran and then Thomas, keeping the game in reach with back-to-back 3-pointers, making it a one-point affair (78-77) with 12 seconds to play.
Tomashek was fouled on a double team from a full court press by the Cardinals, converting both free throws before Josh Terrian fouled Scott II with two seconds to play, where he made the first free throw and missed the second to try and tie or win the game, but the Jesse Napgezek pulled in the rebound and halted the Cardinals comeback attempt in a 80-78 decision.?
Xavier Thomas finished with a game-high 31 points as Duran pulled down a team-leading seven rebounds
Up Next
The Huskies conclude the first GLIAC weekend road trip of the New Year on Saturday, traveling to Lake Superior State for a 3:00 p.m. tipoff.
