HOUGHTON, Mich. – Following a three-week hiatus from competition, the Michigan Tech women's basketball team returns to GLIAC play this week, traveling to No. 1 nationally-ranked Grand Valley State on Thursday at 6 p.m. and Davenport Saturday slated for a 1 p.m. tipoff.

Watch the Huskies

All home and GLIAC games will be streamed on FloCollege. Michigan Tech fans can watch all home and conference games in volleyball, basketball, football and soccer with one subscription. FloSports provides each subscriber with access to all content and events with the purchase of a monthly or yearly subscription. Subscriptions are offered in two different billing packages - monthly and annual. Discounts are available for students enrolled at GLIAC member and associate member institutions. You must subscribe with a .edu email address to be eligible. FloSports is available on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast.

About the Lakers

Grand Valley State enters the New Year with an overall record of 12-1 while going 2-0 in the opening weekend of conference play. The No. 1 Lakers suffered its first loss of the season at Division I Ohio State (82-57) on Dec. 17. GVSU rounded the 2024 slate with a 76-45 win over Northwood on Dec. 22.

As a team, the Lakers produce 80.5 points and 41.1 rebounds per game, with a scoring margin of 29.4 to go with a double-digit rebounding margin. Defensively, GVSU amasses 14.1 steals and 4.0 blocks per outing. 

Rylie Bisballe, the GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Lakers with 12.8 points, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Bisballe is joined by Abrie Cabana with season-highs of 21 points this season.

Ellie Droste (9.5), Cabana (9.3), Nicole Kamin (7.7) and Mackenzie Bisballe (7.4) average over seven points a game, with Bisballe grabbing a team-leading five boards an outing.

The Lakers can score at will and garner 42.4 points off the bench, which ranks third in the country, while also being one of the top facilitating teams in the land with 18.5 assists per game which ranks fifth in Division II.

Mike Williams returns for his 10th season at the helm of the Lakers, who were predicted to win the league. 

About the Panthers

Davenport holds an overall record of 3-7 with a 1-1 ledger in the GLIAC. The Panthers most recently completed a non-conference weekend split falling to Lewis (64-47) on Dec. 18 before besting McKendree (79-61) on Dec. 21.

Junior forward Ellie Toney (14.3) and senior forward Jaci Walker (10.3) are averaging double-digit scoring with Toney also accumulating a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per game.

Lillee Gustafson has commanded the paint defensively for the Panthers with a league-leading 15 blocks, averaging 1.88 per game. She adds 7.6 points and a team-leading 2.8 offensive rebounds, totaling 6.5 rebounds per game.

The Panthers were predicted to finish ninth in the league under third-year head coach Shonda Sanders.

About the Huskies

Michigan Tech ventures on its first conference road weekend with an overall standing of 4-6 and a 1-1 record in GLIAC play. The Huskies most recently played to a weekend split in the opening slate of conference games. MTU fell short of victory against Parkside (79-75) on Dec. 5 before defeating Purdue Northwest (74-63) on Dec. 7.

The Huskies score 69 points per game backed by four players averaging double-digit, scoring led by senior veteran guard Isabella Lenz with 15.8 points in a team-leading 35.3 minutes per game. Freshman guard Kendall Standfest chips in 12.7 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds with three double-doubles so far this season. Graduate transfer Janie Tormanen produces 12.2 points and 6.7 boards with a season-high 21 points on nine-for-13 from the field in the win over Purdue Northwest—also recording a double-double versus the Rangers.

Junior forward/center Maja Kozlowska has scored in double-figures in three games this season, recording a career-high 15 points against Winona State. She averages 10 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

Defensively, sophomore guard Dani Nuest and Standfest record 1.2 steals a game, while Lenz ranks second in the league with 14 blocks (1.4 per game).

One Last Thing

Senior Emma Anderson recorded a career-high 13 rebounds as the Huskies corralled a season-high 47 rebounds in the win over Purdue Northwest.