SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Lake Superior State men's basketball continues Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference play this week with home games against Parkside and Purdue Northwest.

Lake Superior State (9-5, 5-3 GLIAC) faces Parkside (7-7, 5-3 GLIAC) at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday before facing Purdue Northwest (6-10, 2-6 GLIAC) at 3 p.m. on Saturday inside Bud Cooper Gymnasium. 

The game will be broadcast on https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/ and the radio broadcast is on ESPN 1400.

Last Time on the Court

Lake Superior State is on a three-game winning streak after picking up a pair of road wins over Upper Peninsula rivals last week. Lake State defeated Northern Michigan 86-66 on Thursday in Marquette, Michigan before winning 75-67 over Michigan Tech on Saturday in Houghton, Michigan. 

Junior guard Malek Adams averaged 25.5 points per game on 60 percent shooting, while grabbing 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in the two wins. Adams, who shot 90 percent from the free throw line on the week, was named the Madigan/Pingatore Insurance Athlete of the Week. Against Northern Michigan, Adams scored a season-high 26 points, while grabbing a season-best eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. In the win over Michigan Tech, Adams scored 25 points, including 18 in the second half as the Lakers held off the Huskies, on 76.9 percent shooting while tallying three rebounds, three assists and three steals. 

Team Leaders

Junior guard Malek Adams is leading the Lakers in scoring average with 17.4 points per game. Adams has scored in double figures in 10 of his 12 games played this season, including six games with at least 20 points.

Sophomore forward Rog Stein leads the team in rebounds per game (7.9), assists per game (3.6) and steals per game (1.9), while averaging the second-most points per game (14.9).

Senior guard Tim Cairnduff is third in scoring average with 10.2 points per game.   

By the Numbers

Lake Superior State is averaging 81.4 points per game of offense compared to 76.4 by its opponents. LSSU is shooting 49.3 percent from the field, including 39.9 percent from three-point range. LSSU is limiting its opponents to 45.5 percent shooting and 34.9 percent from behind the three-point arc. The Lakers are averaging 16.8 assists per game compared to 12.1 turnovers.

Head Coach Steve Hettinga's Preview

Scouting Parkside

Parkside (7-7, 5-3 GLIAC) enters Thursday's game having won its last two games. The Rangers defeated then-No. 6 Ashland 68-61 on Thursday and Wayne State 71-67 on Saturday.

Chavares Flanigan is the reigning GLIAC North Division Player of the Week. In Parkside's wins over No. 6 Ashland and Wayne State, Flanigan averaged 22.5 points, 5.0 steals, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Scouting Purdue Northwest

Purdue Northwest (6-10, 2-6 GLIAC), which is 3-2 in its last five games played, split a pair of GLIAC games last week. The Pride defeated Wayne State 86-83 on Thursday, before losing to then-No. 6 Ashland 81-57 on Saturday.

Chase Rankin is the leading scorer for the Pride with 18.4 points per game. 

Tickets

Tickets for Laker basketball home games can be purchased online or in person at the LSSU ticket office. For additional ticket information, please call (906) 635-2602. Children ages 13 and under are admitted to all Laker basketball home games free of charge. 

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