GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It was a night to remember for the Davenport men's basketball team as they edged past No. 6 Michigan Tech (18-3, 9-2 GLIAC) with a 72-69 victory on Thursday night at the DU Student Center. Davenport built a commanding 43-25 halftime lead, which proved crucial as the Huskies mounted a strong second-half comeback.
Davenport established early control in the first half, capitalizing on the Huskies' eight turnovers to generate 12 points off turnovers. Davenport's efficient shooting contributed to their lead, as they made 16-of-30 field goals, including seven 3-pointers. The Panthers committed just three turnovers in the first half. The game was tied at 6 before DU went on an 8-0 run to take a 14-6 lead at the 11:57 mark. The lead reached double digits by the 6:47 mark on a triple by
Curtis Jackson for a 26-15 advantage. Davenport took their largest lead of the half at the buzzer as Jackson launched a deep three just inside the half-court line for a 43-25 halftime lead. The Huskies shot 34.6 percent in the opening half, including 5-of-19 from behind the arc.
Davenport (12-7, 6-5 GLIAC) capitalized on defensive efforts early in the second half with four straight points to take their largest lead of the game at 47-25. The lead was still very comfortable at 62-46 entering the under-8 media timeout, but then things got interesting. The Panthers got to 68-52 with 4:19 to play, but the Huskies used a 17-0 run to take a 69-68 lead with 43 seconds to play. Davenport used a timeout and got the ball to their leading scorer
Ken Walker. He dribbled just above the free throw line and hit a tough pull-up jumper for a 70-69 lead with 19 ticks left. The Huskies missed a three-pointer by Ty Fernholz with seven seconds to go and Jackson was fouled on the rebound. He nailed a pair of freebies for a 72-69 lead and Marcus Tomashek heaved an off-balance three-pointer just before the buzzer that missed to give DU the big upset.
Walker led the Panthers with 24 points and played all 40 minutes. He was 11-of-19 from the floor, including a pair of three-pointers, and dished out five assists to lead the squad. Jackson was phenomenal with 19 points, and a team-high eight rebounds and four steals.
Imran Deen got the start for the fifth time this season and finished with eight points, three rebounds, and a team-high two blocked shots.
Marshaun Flakes hit double figures for the third time this season with 11 points and also had three assists before fouling out in 26-plus minutes. Davenport shot 48.3 percent for the game (28-of-58) and were 8-of-11 at the charity stripe.
Nate Abel delivered a strong performance for Michigan Tech with 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while hitting four 3-pointers and contributing four assists. His defensive presence was notable with four steals to lead the team. Marcus Tomashek matched Abel's scoring with 17 points, adding five rebounds and three assists despite seven turnovers. Fernholz also scored 17 points, making five 3-pointers out of 14 attempts and securing two rebounds. The Huskies finished the game shooting 41.1 percent (23-of-56), including 11-of-37 from behind the arc.
The next opponent for Davenport will be No. 10 Northern Michigan on Saturday at 3:00 PM inside the DU Student Center. The Wildcats (18-3, 9-2 GLIAC) had their five-game win streak snapped on Thursday at No. 23 Grand Valley State (85-80).
Game Notes:
- It was the highest-ranked team that Davenport has beaten since joining NCAA Division II and the GLIAC.
- The all-time series is now tied at 9 wins apiece.
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Ken Walker had his sixth 20-point game of the season and took over the GLIAC scoring lead at 22.2 points per game.
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Curtis Jackson scored in double figures for the eighth time this season and the sixth time in a GLIAC game.
- Jackson tied his career high with four steals set in 2023 at Saginaw Valley State against Adrian.
- The Panthers were without the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder
Dylan Smith.
