Michigan Tech opened its home schedule with two hard-fought wins at the SDC Varsity Gym on Nov. 20 and 21, defeating Minnesota Duluth 79-69 in overtime before pulling out a 69-66 win against St. Cloud State the following night. The victories marked a strong early-season statement for a Huskies team looking to improve on last year’s campaign.
Tech’s opener against Minnesota Duluth stayed tight from start to finish. The game was locked at 61-all in the final minute of regulation, sending the Huskies to overtime. From there, Tech surged, outscoring the Bulldogs 18-8 in the extra period. Ella Mason led MTU with 22 points, followed by Alyssa Wypych with 20 and Kendall Standfest with 13. Standfest also dominated the boards, posting a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Wypych added nine rebounds.
Head coach Sam Clayton said the team’s defensive execution will be key as the season progresses. “I think we can execute better defensively, and we’ll need to tomorrow,” Clayton said. “So I think that’s a huge step, just executing defensively.” Wypych, who helped fuel Tech’s overtime surge, emphasised the importance of setting the tone early in each quarter. “I just knew we had to bring all the energy and the urgency,” she said. “If we did that, then… there’s no stopping us at that point.”
The momentum carried into Thursday’s matchup with St. Cloud State, where the Huskies again found themselves in a tight finish. Leading 67-66 with 1:33 remaining, Tech held on through the final possession and secured the win with two late free throws in the final 14 seconds. Mason paced the Huskies with 24 points and five rebounds, while Soraya Timms and Wypych each added 13. Janie Tormanen anchored the defence with 10 rebounds.
Clayton said the win reflected just how far the team has come since last season, when injuries left the Huskies without enough players to even run full practices. “We can be better, but for us to continue to fight back when they were hitting those shots says a lot about our character and who we are going to be this year,” she said. Mason, who has stepped into a larger role this season, said she feels confident in her contributions. “It’s exciting,” Mason said. “Last year, my role was a little bit different, and it’s nice to have an increased role, get more shots… and obviously winning more games is exciting for everybody.”
With a pair of hard-earned wins to open the home stand, the Huskies have already shown their resilience in tight moments—something they’ll aim to build on as the season continues.
