Lakers reclaim top spot in GLIAC North Division
MIDLAND - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team reclaimed the top spot in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division with a 72-64 win at Northwood on Thursday.
The Lakers (14-6 overall, 11-4 GLAIC), who cracked the top 10 in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Poll this week, took a one-game lead over second-place Grand Valley State, which was a seven-point loser to No. 1-ranked Findlay. GVSU is ranked fifth and LSSU ninth in the region. The top eight teams advance to the regional tournament in March.
LSSU needed a big second half to come back from a 10-point deficit and beat the Timberwolves by two points in mid January. This time, the Lakers ended the first half with an 11-2 run to build a 40-33 lead, then hung on for the win in the second half.
Northwood (10-10 overall, 6-9 GLIAC) trimmed an 11-point deficit to one point, 57-56, with 9:27 remaining in the game. Although the Lakers led throughout the second half, the margin was still only one point, 65-64, nine minutes later.
LSSU's Tim VanOudheusden made a layup with 58 seconds remaining to answer Lionel Sullivan's field goal and give the Lakers a three-point edge. LSSU's Kyle Hunt was 3-for-4 and Garrett Konuszewski was 2-for-2 as the Timberwolves were forced to foul during the final minute.
Sullivan led all scorers with 20 points. Northwood shot 48.2 percent from the field, including 4-of-15 from three-point range, and made 6-of-13 free throws. Northwood out-rebounded LSSU, 35-29.
VanOudheusden and Hunt scored 14 points each to lead Lake Superior State. VanOudheusden also contributed five assists and four rebounds, and Hunt was 3-for-4 from behind the arc. Ryan Kuhl totaled 12 points and seven rebounds, and Konuszewski added 12 points, five rebounds and two steals.
LSSU shot 45.3 percent from the field, including 9-of-18 from three-point range, and made 15-of-20 free throws.
The Lakers play at 3 p.m. at Wayne State on Saturday. The LSSU Alumni Association and SAILS are sponsoring a social at WSU for all Laker fans between the men's and women's games.
