Detroit – Nate Abel gave the Huskies the lead with four seconds left at the final horn, Antonio Marshall’s triple of his own and Wayne State won 72-65 in overtime Saturday afternoon in conference men’s basketball action at Wayne State Fieldhouse.
Michigan Tech led 31-24 at halftime. Freshman Dan Geretzger provided an offensive spark and Abel received a pair of tackles on defense. Tyler Robarge made a 3-pointer in the lane to help Tech to an 11-point edge. Marshall then cut the deficit to three with baskets on three consecutive possessions.
The difference in points continued for the second half with 16 remaining in five periods, with the teams taking turns taking the lead. Wayne State got back within 58-55 after Avery Lewis layup at the 2:06 mark, but Marcus Tomasek hit a 3 to tie it on the Huskies’ next possession.
Pete Calcaterra’s steal allowed Abel to make a 3-point attempt with four ticks on the clock from across the left wing. Marshall dribbles in three from the right side in space.
Gergerer hit a jumper to score first in overtime. Then several changes slowed it down. Marshall’s three with 54 seconds left made it 67-65 Wayne State and the Warriors tied the game with five free throws.
“It hurts. We played hard enough to win and I’m proud of our effort and hustle,” head coach Josh Buettner said. The responsibility rests on my shoulders to ensure that our young team is better prepared for the end of the game.
Lewis led all players with 25 points (8-14), while Antonio Marshall finished with 18, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Markus Tomaszek led the Huskies (7-15) with 17 points, with Gretzger (14 points) and Abel (11 points) also in double figures.
WSU outscored Tech 11-4 in overtime to improve to 5-7, 2-3 GLIAC. Michigan Tech drops to 3-11, 1-5 GLIAC as they continue their search for their first road win.
The Huskies shot 35 percent from the field (26-74), including 36 percent (9-25) from long range. Wayne State won the battle on the boards 47-45, but Tech committed nine turnovers compared to WSU’s 11. Abel played a season-high 52 minutes off the bench and was an efficient shooter (4-7) with five rebounds and a pair of assists.
The Warriors tied MTU for 28 points with 32 points. Wayne State made 34 trips to the free throw line and converted 22 (65-percent). The Huskies hit 4 of 6 free throws.
Michigan Tech returns to Houghton to play Finland on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. Wayne State will play Grand Valley State in Allendale on Thursday.
