Michigan Tech forward Dawson Nordgaard extends to attempt a layup during a game against Wayne State Thursday at the SDC Gym in Houghton. (David Archambeau/For the Gazette)

HOUGHTON — The No.6-ranked Michigan Tech Huskies men’s basketball team coach Josh Buettner wanted to see his team play better defense than it had in recent weeks, especially after the Huskies blew a 20-point lead Thursday against Wayne State, winning their third straight game by two or fewer points.

Saturday against Purdue Northwest, the Huskies did play better defensively, and that led to an 18-point win.

“(I am) happy we went 2-0,” said Buettner. “I thought there was some continued improvement in a lot of the execution things. Obviously, a great first half on Thursday. Disappointed that we let them back in the game a little bit.

“I thought we really executed the defensive side really, really, really well on Saturday in the first half, and hung on and kind of had more of a complete game on Saturday. So a 2-0 weekend’s always good. I was happy with how we played.”

Buettner and his staff had stressed that the Huskies work to get back to playing better team defense after a pair of games where they allowed their opponents to pull back within a point or two. However, things did not go as planned Thursday.

“It was something we had emphasized prior to Thursday’s game,” Buettner said. “Obviously, it didn’t work out the way we wanted to Thursday, but it was good to kind of try to expand the rotation a little bit and get a couple other guys a few looks.”

At the same time, the Huskies are getting offensive contributions from senior guard Marcus Tomashek, who has finished his last 11 games in double figures. He had 35 points to lead the Huskies Thursday against the Warriors, and then had 15 points against Purdue Northwest Saturday.

What caught Buettner’s attention wasn’t the scoring Saturday from Tomashek, but rather the five assists he had in the first half.

“He was a big time playmaker that first half Saturday,” Buettner said. “He kind of just hit five assists in the first half. He was a big part of why our offense looked like that. He just didn’t have to do as much on Saturday, and keeping him fresh through the grind of the second half is going to be huge.

“All the traveling we’re going to do wears on everybody. So, the deeper we can go, the better we’ll be.”

When considering team depth, the Huskies got a huge contribution Thursday from junior guard Matt Schmainda. Schmainda played 26 minutes off the bench, scoring a season-high 10 points in the game.

“It’s going to be huge, just especially on the offensive side of the ball, not to have to rely on Marcus as much as we were there for a stretch,” said Buettner. “Obviously, the way who we are and what we are, we’re going to rely on Marcus. He’s going to need to have his stretches like that.

“But, the more often we can rest him, go a little deeper in the bench, and still get buckets and still have good things happening on the scoreboard, the better. Jesse (Napgezek) and getting Ty (Fernholz) going and Matt, the more guys we can have that keep the level high, the better we’re going to be.”

Napgezek scored 13 Saturday in 18 minutes off the bench. Fernholz hit a pair of 3-pointers in the game as well.

Among the Huskies’ starting five, redshirt sophomore guard Gabe Smith is taking on a bigger and bigger role at both ends of the floor. He scored 10 points Thursday against Wayne State, and then led the Huskies with 17 points Saturday.

Buettner felt that Smith was struggling to score a bit, but appears to be returning to form.

“It felt like he was in a touch of a lull,” said Buettner. “Now he’s back to just impacting the game on all levels. He’s shooting the ball with a little bit more confidence. He’s kind of a creator. So, he’s going to continue to get better at driving and playing under control, and we’re looking to get him in the post a little bit. If he’s making shots, he’s just a weapon.”

Scouting the Panthers

The Davenport Panthers come into this weekend 11-7 overall and 5-5 in GLIAC play after a sweep last week of Roosevelt and Wisconsin-Parkside.

Junior guard Ken Walker leads the Panthers in scoring, averaging 22.1 points per game. He also shoots 38.9% from beyond the arc.

Sophomore forward Dylan Smith has also been good, averaging 10.6 points per game.

The Panthers have two players who are just shy of double-figure averages. Redshirt junior guard Curtis Jackson is scoring 9.4 points per game, while redshirt guard Alden Ritt has scored at a clip of 9.2 points per game.

Scouting the Lakers

The No. 23 Grand Valley State Lakers are 15-3 overall and 8-2 in GLIAC play after a weekend that saw them sweep Wisconsin-Parkside and Roosevelt. The Lakers beat the Huskies, 79-75, on Jan. 2, before falling to Northern Michigan about 24 hours later. Since that loss, the Lakers have won six in a row.

Fifth-year forward Ethan Alderink leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game.

Senior forward Jalen Charity has also been strong, averaging 13.4 points per game. He scored 22 in the win over the Huskies.

Redshirt senior guard Trevor Smith Jr. averages 13.3 points per game, giving the Lakers three who average in double figures.

Game times

The Huskies and Panthers will tip at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Grand Rapids. Saturday, the Huskies and Lakers are set to start at 3 p.m. at Allendale.