BLOG 28: Challenging road trip upcoming for women’s basketball team

By Sandy Gholston

Ferris State University basketball player Teghan Thelen tosses up a shot while falling during a game Saturday at home against Northwood (Photo/Sandy Gholston)

BIG RAPIDS – Ferris is on the road this week with a trip to the Upper Peninsula to take on Northern Michigan (Jan. 29), in Marquette, and Michigan Tech (Jan. 31), in Houghton.

That means the Bulldogs face the best women’s basketball team (in my opinion … although Hillsdale is a close second) in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, on Saturday, when they face Michigan Tech and an improved Northern Michigan squad, on Thursday.

Ferris is coming off an 83-67 home loss to a strong Northwood team on Saturday afternoon in Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids. Prior to that, the Bulldogs had won two of their last three games with victories over Wayne State and Tiffin. Ferris finished its recent five-game homestand with a 2-3 record as it heads to the U.P.

The Bulldogs will try to take it one game at a time with this weekend’s matchups. First on the schedule is a Northern team (Thursday at 5: 30 p.m.) that plays hard and surely will perform at a solid level on its home floor. Ferris will have to muster a good effort and work to control the game in the paint and on the backboards to have some success in this contest. That inside play (led by Jenna Guay, Tiara Adams, Amy Joostberns, Ashley Fleming and Andrea Clancy) could open things up for the guards and small forwards (Teghan Thelen, Kelsey DeNoyelles, Chelsea Simonetti, Becci Houdek, Caitlin Hutchison and others).

Against the Huskies, the Bulldogs need to play close to perfection (as just about everyone else in the GLIAC does) to come away with a win in Houghton. Tech is 15-2 overall this season and 12-0 in the GLIAC. That speaks volumes of the caliber of that team.

If you have any questions, ideas or comments feel free to contact Sandy Gholston at sgholston2@netzero.com