SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will travel to Midland, Mich. this weekend to take on the Northwood Timberwolves in a two game series at the Riepma Arena. The first game of the series will be played at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb.12 and the closing game is set to tip off at 3:00 p.m.
Due to COVID-19 related changes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) scheduling process for the 2021 season, teams will play a pair of games against the same opponent each weekend.
The Lakers
Lake Superior State has totaled a 5-6 overall record through the first 11 games of GLIAC play this season. Last weekend, the Lakers played a home series against Davenport and split the series with the Panthers. LSSU opened the pair of games with a 77-75 loss but responded with a 80-66 win on Saturday afternoon.
Following the first month of the 2021 season, the Lakers have been led by a mix of returning players and new faces. Three Lakers are averaging 10 or more points per game. Forward Kemon Bassett, a junior transfer from Schoolcraft Community College, leads the team with 17.6 points per game as well as in rebounds per game with 7.8. Heading into the series against the Timberwolves, Bassett ranks fourth among all GLIAC players in points per game, fifth in rebounds and second in field goal percentage (55.7%).
David Wren, a junior guard who also played two seasons at Schoolcraft, has also made an impact with his new team this season as he has averaged 13.5 points per game. Through the first 11 games, Wren has recorded a 51.9 shooting percentage from three, which ranks second among his LSSU teammates and ninth among GLIAC players this season.
Redshirt senior Malek Adams has averaged 11.4 points per game for the Lakers, coming off a 15 point game against the Panthers last Saturday. Junior Justin Fischer (8.6 points per game) has been a heavily relied on player by Coach Hettinga this season with 30.1 minutes on the floor per game and 7.4 rebounds, both of which rank second on the team. Fischer is currently tied for eighth among GLIAC players in rebounds per game.
As a team, the Lakers offense is combining for 75.5 points per game this season, which ranks second among all GLIAC teams, on a 46.2 shooting percentage and a 34.4 percentage from three. Lake Superior has recorded an average of 33.3 rebounds per game this season.
Last Season's Series
The Lakers and Timberwolves met twice during the 2019-20 season with Northwood winning both contests. In a home game on Jan. 11, 2020, the Lakers dropped a 74-69 game to the Timberwolves and NU would follow with a home win on Feb. 6, 2020.
Scouting the Timberwolves
Northwood will host the Lakers in the lone series between the two GLIAC opponents this season. The Timberwolves are led by head coach Lonnie Griffin, who is in his first season in the role at Northwood. Last season, NU posted a 18-13 overall record (11-9 GLIAC) and was voted to finish sixth in the GLIAC South Division standings in the Preseason Poll.
Most recently, the Timberwolves played Northern Michigan in a road series and dropped both games by final scores of 84-72 and 74-63. With the pair of losses, Northwood has totaled a 4-7 overall record this season.
The Timberwolves are led by junior guard Jack Ammerman who has started all 11 games for Northwood this season, and averages 15.0 points per game. Ammerman ranks seventh in the GLIAC in points per game and leads the Timberwolves in minutes per game (31.7). Ammerman has totaled a 45.6 shooting percentage and a 38.5 percentage from three this season. In the most recent game, Ammerman posted 22 points for the Timberwolves.
Senior guard Evan Lowden has had a strong season for the Timberwolves with 13.6 points per game on a 53.5 shooting percentage and a three point percentage of 37.5. Lowden, who ranks second on the team with 30.3 minutes per game, leads the Timberwolves in rebounds with 6.8 per game.
As a team, the Timberwolves offense is combining for 67.3 points per game this season on a 44.4 shooting percentage and a 30.9 percentage from three. Northwood has recorded an average of 31.5 rebounds per game this season.
Follow the Lakers
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Due to State of Michigan, GLIAC and Lake Superior State University mandates, fans are not currently permitted to attend any Laker sporting events. Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker home games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games during the 2021 season will be available to watch live on Stretch TV. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1400, the official radio station of Laker basketball.
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