GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport University men's basketball team completed the two-game sweep over Michigan Tech on Saturday, 77-70, and did so with a masterful offensive performance. The Panthers shot an efficient 59.6 percent (28-of-47) from the field, their highest clip of the season and best ever home mark against a GLIAC opponent. Next up, Davenport will host Grand Valley State on Tuesday at 5 p.m. for the final home game of the 2021 regular season. The Panthers won the two teams' first meeting of this year, 73-70, in Allendale on Jan. 26.

Chris Rollins led the way with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting to go with five steals, four assists and three rebounds. For the week, Rollins averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.5 steals per game and now finds himself just 12 points away from becoming the program's eighth 1,000-point scorer.

Scott Ulaneo followed up his 24-point showing on Friday with 15 more on Saturday as well as four rebounds and three assists. Just shy of double-figures for Davenport were Elijah Belle (2-for-2 3FG) and Brackton Miller (3-for-3 3FG), each with nine points. Avery Hudson played his first game since the 2019 GLIAC Tournament final against Grand Valley State on March 10, 2019 (713 days ago) and hit a triple with one steal in 13 minutes on the court. All in all, nine different Panthers found the scoring column.

The opening minutes were a little more back and forth than Friday as there were three ties and five lead changes in the first seven minutes and change. Once it was tied for the final time at 11-11, Davenport rattled off six-consecutive points to go up 17-11 before Michigan Tech cut it back down to three with a triple from Brad Simonsen. The Panthers then countered with a 17-8 run of their own capped off by an Evan Hines three-pointer that gave them their biggest lead of the first half at 12, 34-22. The Huskies continued to scrape away, though, and got the margin down to three, 36-33, heading into halftime.

Out of the break, Rollins hit a jumper to make it a five-point lead for the home team, 38-33, and it was never closer from there on out. Davenport would lead by as many as 18, 69-51, before the final margin of seven.

In the team scoring categories, Davenport controlled the action in points off turnovers (22-12), bench scoring (20-14), points in the paint (32-24), and fast break points (13-2). The Panthers also converted on 11-of-12 free throw attempts for their best percentage at the charity stripe this season, 91.7 perent. Defensively, the Panthers racked up 10 steals, which ties their season high set against Northwood on Jan. 9.

Story by: Cooper Weidenthaler