No. 11 Huskies Edge Blue Devils in a Dominant Second Half
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The No. 11 Michigan Tech men’s basketball team turned a tight first half into a decisive finish, outscoring UW-Stout 47-13 after the break to win 79-41 at the SDC Gymnasium on Saturday night.
Michigan Tech has now won eight straight games, improving to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC.
Marcus Tomashek led all scorers with 22 points, shooting 8-for-16 and adding three rebounds and three assists. Gabe Smith contributed 14 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Ty Fernholz dished out five assists, while Napgezek totaled three steals and grabbed five rebounds.
Head coach Josh Buettner praised UW-Stout for their effort in a challenging day. “That’s a very good team,” he said, noting the Blues’ resilience after traveling through a blizzard and executing an effective game plan. “We were sharp defensively in the first half, but they played with more physicality. We missed some open looks, which affected our rhythm, both ends of the floor.” Buettner added that the Huskies found momentum on both ends after halftime, and that Tomashek’s rhythm returned after a quiet start.
The opener moved slowly, with both teams trading baskets as they reached the 8:19 mark of the first period. Tomashek erupted for 13 consecutive points to push Tech ahead 19-16, then knocked down his fourth triple of the half before Jesse Napgezek added a layup to send the Huskies into the break leading 32-28.
The second half belonged to Michigan Tech. Their defense stifled UW-Stout, holding the Blue Devils to six points through 7:40 of the period while Tech scored 37. The Huskies’ biggest cushion came late in the game, standing at 38 points (79-41) with 1:07 remaining.
The Huskies finished strong from the floor, shooting 54.8% in the second half after making six three-pointers in the first half and eight more after the break. Tech also controlled the boards, grabbing 46 rebounds to Stout’s 37, and both teams collected 10 offensive rebounds. Bench production was solid for Tech, tallying 34 points, including eight from Fernholz and two triples each from Matt Schmainda and Layne Risdon.
Tyrel Creger led UW-Stout with 14 points, while Collin Vick pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
Up Next
Michigan Tech heads to Florida for the Sunshine State swing, taking part in the Florida Tech Winter Classic. The Huskies will face host Florida Tech on Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET, followed by a showdown with Lynn on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
