MARQUETTE, Mich. – Sophomore guard Akaemji Williams scored a game-high 24 points, including 11 points in the final eight minutes to propel Lake Superior State to an 83-74 victory over Northern Michigan on the road Thursday.
The victory moves the Lakers to 18-8 overall and 13-7 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference play.
Williams (Rochester, Mich.) also played the facilitator role with eight assists, helping three other starters reach double-digit scoring for the Lakers.
Senior Devin Daly and junior Jordan Dasuqi each added 15 points in the victory. Dasuqi hit 6-of-8 shots from the floor, including going 2-for-4 from behind the arc. Daly contributed six rebounds, helping the Lakers to secure a 37-31 advantage on the glass.
Starting center Michael Nicholson scored 12 points and added a team-high eight rebounds.
The Wildcats (6-18, 4-16 GLIAC) also had four starters reach double figures in scoring but received just two points from their bench, compared to 14 points from the LSSU bench.
Donnell Cegers led NMU with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Guard Jordan Perez scored 17 points, Naba Echols scored 16 points and dished out eight assists, and Marcus Hall netted 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field. Hall hit a game-high four three-pointers on six attempts.
Although he didn't register a point, Alex Mustert tied Nicholson with a team-high eight rebounds in 17 minutes of reserve work for the Wildcats.
Freshman Carson Manger played 21 minutes for LSSU and scored eight points, while senior Jake Blake netted six points and recorded four rebounds. Both Manger and Blake played 21 minutes of reserve duty.
Both teams shot respectable numbers from the field, 50 percent for the Lakers and 48.4 percent for NMU in a game that was heavily fought in the paint. LSSU won the duel down low with a slight advantage of 42-38 on points in the paint.
LSSU travels to Michigan Tech for their final road test of the regular season at 3p.m. on Saturday. The Lakers can punch their ticket to a GLIAC Tournament berth with a win in Houghton on Saturday.