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Tech women prep for speedy ODU

David Archambeau/Daily Mining Gazette Michigan Tech celebrates against Northern Michigan Thursday at the Wood Gym.

HOUGHTON — The Michigan Tech women have always been dominant at home — losing just nine times at the Wood Gym in Kim Cameron’s eight-year head coaching stint at Michigan Tech. 

And lately, Tech has been exceptional at the Wood Gym, where they are outscoring their opponents by an average of 19 points per game in their last seven contests at home. 

That bodes well for the Huskies (19-7) as they prepare to host the Ohio Dominican Panthers in a GLIAC Quarterfinal matchup tonight at 5:30 p.m. Tech defeated ODU back on Dec. 10 in Columbus, 75-59, but since then, Cameron has noticed an improved Panthers squad. 

“Their philosophy is still the same. They’re still really, really good in transition,” Cameron said. “Throughout the season, that’s what has made them successful and they have gotten better at it. That’s something that’s tough to counter because we don’t play at the pace they play at.”

ODU’s uptempo style allowed them to score the second-most points in the GLIAC (73.5), trailing only the Ashland Eagles (96.8). The Panthers also took the second-most shots in the league (1,761). 

“Whether it’s up the sideline or their point guard going coast to coast, or going coast to coast and hitting a trailer, that’s what they do,” Cameron said. “You can have a possession under 10 seconds the entire game, and they’re very efficient and very effective at that.”

In the first meeting, Tech managed to limit ODU (18-9) to 19 of 54 shooting (35 percent). Offensively, it was Tech’s Big Three of senior Morgan Anderson (18 points) and juniors Brenna Heise (17) and Kelli Guy (15) leading the way for Tech’s offense. The Huskies shot 29 of 65 (44 percent) and assisted on 19 of the made baskets for an efficient offensive outing. 

If you believe in a team getting hot at the right time can be good for the postseason, the Huskies fit that description having won five of their last six including a 72-37 blowout win over the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Thursday. 

PRIDEFUL

PROGRAMS

With the Michigan Tech women hosting a GLIAC Quarterfinal before the men welcome the Wayne State Warriors at 7:30 p.m. for a Wood Gym doubleheader, the Huskies are the only GLIAC school to have both their men’s and women’s teams hosting a postseason game. 

“I am so proud of us and both the teams to be able to achieve that,” Cameron said. “I think it’s really special. It’s an incredible accomplishment to have both teams get one more game at home and have everyone able to be in a tournament environment.

“We’re very, very fortunate to have that with these two programs.”

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