SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will host the Ferris State Bulldogs for a single game on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. for a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest.
The Lakers and the Bulldogs met previously this season in the Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 with the Lakers winning the first game of the series by a final score of 80-69. Lake Superior State had five different players with double figures in points in the game, led by Kemon Bassett who had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the game.
The Lakers
Lake Superior State has totaled a 6-7 overall record through 13 games of GLIAC play this season. Last weekend, the Lakers played a road series against Northwood and split the series with the Timberwolves. LSSU opened the pair of games with an 80-60 win and dropped the second game by a final score of 86-70.
With the majority of regular season games played, 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 16.8 points per game and ranks second in rebounds per game with 7.3. Heading into the series against the Bulldogs, Bassett ranks fifth among all GLIAC players in points per game, eighth in rebounds and fifth in field goal percentage (53.3%).
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 13.8 points per game. Through the first 13 games, Wren has recorded a 49.6 shooting percentage and a 43.5% mark from three, which ranks second among his LSSU teammates.
Redshirt senior Malek Adams has averaged 12.8 points per game for the Lakers, coming off a season-best 28 point game against the Timberwolves on Saturday. Adams, who has played 97 career games as a Laker, currently sits at 990 career points heading into the game against the Bulldogs. Adams will become the 43rd player in Laker men's basketball history to reach the milestone and the first since Michael Nicholson during the 2017-18 season.
Junior Justin Fischer (8.8 points per game) and sophomore C.J. Robinson (6.8 points per game) have been heavily relied on by Coach Hettinga this season as they rank first and second on the team in minutes per game. Robinson leads the Lakers with an average of 32.5 minutes per game on the floor while also recording a team-best 3.0 assists per game. Fischer averages 30.0 minutes on the court each game while also leading the team in rebounds (7.6). Fischer is currently fifth 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 conference-leading 46.6 shooting percentage and a 34.9 percentage from three. Lake Superior has recorded an average of 33.2 rebounds per game this season.
Last Season's Series
Last season, the Lakers and the Bulldogs played each other twice with Ferris State winning both games. The Bulldogs won the first meeting by a final score of 97-86 on Dec. 14, 2019 in Sault Ste. Marie and would record a 84-73 win at home on Feb. 27, 2020 in the final regular season game of the 2019-20 season.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Ferris State will play the Lakers for the second time this season as the Bulldogs hosted the first half of the home-and-home series earlier this season. The Bulldogs are led by head coach Andy Bronkema, who is in his eighth season in the role. Last season, Michigan Tech posted a 27-6 overall record (16-4 GLIAC) and was voted to finish in first in the GLIAC North Division standings in the Preseason Poll.
Last weekend, the Bulldogs faced off against Grand Valley and split the series against the GVSU Lakers. Ferris won the first game by a score of 68-65 and then closed out the series with a 70-51 loss to move their record to 7-7 this season.
The Bulldogs are led by senior guard Walt Kelser, who leads the GLIAC,, with 21.0 points per game this season. Kelser was voted to the Preseason All-GLIAC North Division team and has posted at least 15 points in all but one of the 12 games he has played this season for Ferris State. In his senior season, Kelser has a 43.0 shooting percentage and a 36.3 percentage from three in an average of 30.6 minutes per game.
Senior forward Michael Peterson is another key part of the Bulldogs roster as ranks second on the team in points per game with 9.7 while also leading FSU in rebounds with 6.6 per game.
As a team, the Bulldogs offense is combining for 64.0 points per game this season on a 41.0 shooting percentage and a 30.7 percentage from three. Ferris State has recorded an average of 34.6 rebounds per game this season.
Follow the Lakers
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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