SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will head on the road for the first time of the 2021 season to play a two-game weekend series against the Purdue Northwest Pride on Friday, Jan. 15 at 4:00 p.m. EST and on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 2:00 p.m. EST at the PNW Fitness Center in Hammond, Ind.
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 opened the 2020-21 season with a series split against the Wayne State Warriors in a pair of home games at the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. last weekend. The Lakers dropped the first game of the season by a final score of 87-76 but closed out the weekend with a 75-64 win against the Warriors.
Following the opening weekend of the GLIAC season, the Lakers have been led by a mix of returning players and new faces. Forward Kemon Bassett and guard David Wren both joined the Lakers following two years at Schoolcraft Community College. In their first weekend of game action as Lakers, the duo showed the impact they will have on the court this year. Bassett, who was named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, averaged 21.5 points per game after scoring 20 points in his Laker debut on Friday and followed with a 23 point effort on Saturday. Wren finished the pair of games averaging 10.5 points.
In his first weekend of play since the 2018-19 season, redshirt senior Malek Adams recorded six points in Friday's game and followed with 16 points in Saturday's win. Adams went 6-for-9 shooting in Saturday's game, including 2-for-3 from the three point line.
Guard Nigel Colvin opened his sophomore season where he left off as a freshman, with a strong game for the Lakers as he netted a team-high 24 points in Friday's game. Colvin finished the weekend averaging 15.0 points per game on a 55.6 shooting percentage.
Junior Justin Fischer had a solid weekend on the floor for the Lakers as he averaged 9.5 points per game and was tied for the team lead in rebounds with Bassett. Both players registered 16 rebounds against the Warriors (4 offensive, 12 defensive).
GLIAC North Player of the Week
Kemon Bassett has earned his first GLIAC North Player of the Week award of his career as the junior transfer completed his first weekend of play as a Laker. Bassett, who previously played for Schoolcraft CC, made a strong first impression as a Laker as he averaged 21.5 points per game in the series against Wayne State. In the first game of the series, Bassett scored 20 points as he went 7-for-10 shooting and 6-for-11 at the free throw line. The forward also contributed six rebounds and two assists in the loss. Bassett followed up with another solid game for the Lakers in Saturday's game against the Warriors, scoring a team-high 23 points in 34 minutes of playing time. The Pre-Nursing major posted his first double-double as a Laker as he added a team-best 10 rebounds in the team's 75-64 win. Following the first weekend of conference play, Bassett ranks second in the GLIAC in points per game (21.5) and fourth among his conference peers in rebounds per game (8.0).
Scouting the Pride
Purdue Northwest will begin their 2021 home schedule as the team competed against Michigan Tech on the road last week to open the GLIAC season. The Pride are led by third-year head coach Boomer Roberts, who has led PNW to increased win totals in each of his first two seasons at the helm. Last season, Purdue Northwest posted a 10-18 overall record (5-15 GLIAC) and was voted to finish in the sixth spot in the GLIAC North Division standings in the Preseason Poll.
In the team's first weekend of play, the Pride faced off against Michigan Tech and the GLIAC rivals split the weekend series. Purdue Northwest dropped the opening game by a final score of 68-59 while responding with a 76-52 win over the Huskies the following day.
Last weekend, the Pride saw strong performances from the trio of Mikell Cooper, Vincent Miszkiewicz, and Anthony Barnard. Cooper, a junior guard, scored a team-high 15 points in Saturday's game and Barnard, a junior forward/guard, led the team in points on Sunday with 23. Miszkiewicz posted back-to-back double-doubles for the Pride with 13 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday, and 15 points and 14 rebounds on Sunday.
PNW also has all-conference player, Jyrus Freels, back for his senior season. Freels, who was named to the GLIAC North Preseason All-Conference Team, led the Pride in scoring and rebounding in his junior season.
Follow the Lakers
Laker fans looking to watch this weekend's away series will be able to purchase access to watch both games here.
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.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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