Huskies stay tied with NMU in GLIAC standings
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Senior guard Marcus Tomashek scored a game-high 27 points, including the game-winner, as the No. 16 nationally ranked Michigan Tech men’s basketball team outlasted Parkside 68-65 inside the SDC Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
Behind Tomashek’s 27 points, Jesse Napgezek also reached double-figure scoring with 12 points as the Huskies’ bench accounted for 26 points. Matt Schmainda had eight points (3-of-5) and two assists as Grant Warren added four points and a team-leading and season-high eight rebounds. Gabe Smith had a team-leading four steals to go with four points.
“It’s been a long week and there’s still a lot left to go,” said Tech head coach Josh Buettner. “First off, credit to Parkside, their last six, they played really well and they played really well today.
“We were fortunate to win today and I do think you create your own luck in some ways, but the rebounds and the turnovers were what gave us a chance in this game. I was happy with our bench today—I thought they gave us a lift and we have a veteran group and the ball ended up in the right guy’s hands, the All-American and he hit a big time shot.”
Huskies lead 10-6 through the first media break with two 3-pointers from Tomashek and two baskets by Abel.
Michigan Tech earned its first double-digit lead by the under-eight media timeout following 3-pointers by Schmainda and Napgezek, making it a 27-16 game with 7:32 to go in the first half.
Tomashek made it a seven-point game with 1:46 remaining in the half before a 3-pointer by Braden McGlothlin concluded the scoring, seeing MTU lead 34-30 entering halftime.
The Huskies dominated the glass in the first 20 minutes, with 25 rebounds, including 10 on offense, compared to just 13 boards from Parkside. The Black & Gold also held an advantage from beyond the arc, knocking down 8-of-16 3-pointers, five from Tomashek, as Parkside went just 3-of-12 from trey.
Parkside made things interesting, shooting 60 percent in the second half, outscoring the Black & Gold 35-34, while knocking down four 3-pointers compared to two for the home team.
The Huskies led by as many as 11 points in the second half. Five minutes into the period, a steal by Josh Terrian translated into two foul shots by Warren, making it a 45-34 affair. From there, the Rangers would string together a 9-0 run, forcing Michigan Tech to take a timeout.
Schmainda hit a timely jumper out of the break to make it a two-possession game before two free throws by Tomashek and a steal and slam by Smith moments later put the Huskies back ahead by seven points with 9:39 to go.
Once again, the Rangers would find a scoring run, this time a 6-0 spurt to make it a one-point game (53-52) before ultimately tying, and then taking their first of the day off a 3-pointer by Josiah Palmer with 3:47 left in the contest off an offensive rebound by Fawaz Surakat.
Napgezek was crucial for Michigan Tech in the final 4:22, with a layup and a putback while going 3-of-6 from the free throw line, helping tie the game at 65-all with 41 seconds to play.
Out of a timeout, Parkside missed a layup with 16 seconds remaining, Tomashek got the rebound before another timeout was called.
Tomashek got the inbound pass, looking for his signature turnaround jumper from the elbow, although the ball was knocked out of his hands by McGlothlin, but Ty Fernholz tracked the loose ball and found the Huskies All-American for a line-drive 3-pointer to decide the game at 68-65.
Luka Mateski led four Rangers in double-figure scoring with 17 points, Palmer (15) and Paxton Ward (12) each contributed 10 points in the second half as part of the near second-half rally. Surakat also had a notable second half, adding nine points and six rebounds in the final 20 minutes. He finished with a double-double of 13 points and a team-high 11 boards.
Up Next
The Huskies are one win away from at least a share of the GLIAC regular season title, welcoming Roosevelt to the SDC Gymnasium for Senior Day Saturday, slated for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff.
