ASHLAND, Ohio – Lake Superior State men's basketball was edged 82-68 in its Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener on Thursday night at Kates Gymnasium.
Lake Superior State (2-3, 0-1 GLIAC) and Ashland (5-0, 1-0 GLIAC) played a tightly contested first half that ended with Ashland leading 37-34 at halftime. The Lakers trailed by as many as 12 points early in the half with the score 15-3 Eagles with 13:49 remaining. However, the Lakers fought back and tied the game at 27-27 with 5:25 left to play in the period. The Eagles then went on a 10-7 run to put the Lakers down 37-34 going into halftime.
In the second half, Lake State was outscored 45-34 as the Lakers went on to lose the game 82-68. Early on in the period, the Lakers pulled within two points of the Eagles with the score 41-39 and less than 18 minutes remaining in regulation. However, Ashland promptly went on a 12-0 run to push the score to 53-39 with 13:38 remaining. LSSU clawed back to get the deficit into single digits a couple of times, but Ashland responded each time to fend off the Lakers.
Sophomore forward Rog Stein paced Lake Superior State offensively with 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Stein has tallied double figures in points in all five games this season. Freshman guard Justin Fischer (12 points), junior guard Malek Adams (11) and senior guard Tim Cairnduff (10) all scored in double digits for the Lakers. Fischer's 12 points are the most he has scored in his brief collegiate career.
Ashland's Aaron Thompson led all scorers with 27 points, while Rodrick Caldwell added 21 points.
The Lakers shot 48.1 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent on three-point shots. The Eagles shot 59.6 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from behind the arc.
Lake State recorded 18 rebounds and Ashland tallied 38.
The Lakers turned the ball over 13 times, while forcing the Eagles into 18 turnovers.
LSSU returns to the court at Wayne State at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Matthaei Center in Detroit.
The Lakers will play their first regular-season home game against Saginaw Valley State University on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available online or in-person at the LSSU ticket office. For additional ticket information, call (906) 635-2602.