SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will continue their three game homestand as the Lakers will host the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers this weekend in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The two-game Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) series will open on Friday, Feb. 19 at 3:00 p.m. and conclude on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 1:00 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 7-7 overall record through 14 games of GLIAC play this season. Most recently, the Lakers played a home game against Ferris State on Tuesday night and earned an 84-82 win over the Bulldogs to take the season series two games to none.
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 15.7 points per game and ranks second in rebounds per game with 7.3. Heading into the series against the Rangers, Bassett ranks sixth among all GLIAC players in points per game, ninth in rebounds and sixth in field goal percentage (52.7%).
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 13.8 points per game. Through 14 games, Wren has recorded a 49.6 shooting percentage and a 41.7% mark from three, which ranks second among his LSSU teammates. Wren is coming off a 14 point effort in the Lakers win on Tuesday night against Ferris State.
Redshirt senior Malek Adams has averaged 13.6 points per game for the Lakers, coming off a season-best 28 point game against the Timberwolves on Saturday and a 23 point game on Tuesday night. Adams, who has played 98 career games as a Laker, became the 43rd Lakers in men's basketball history to reach 1,000 career points as he hit the milestone in Tuesday's win. Adams, is the first Laker since Michael Nicholson during the 2017-18 season to record 1,000 career points.
Junior Justin Fischer (9.0 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 32.4 minutes per game on the floor while also recording a team-best 2.9 assists per game. Fischer averages 30.4 minutes of playing time each game while also leading the team in rebounds (8.1). Fischer is currently fourth among GLIAC players in rebounds per game.
As a team, the Lakers offense is combining for 76.1 points per game this season, which ranks second among all GLIAC teams, on a conference-leading 46.7 shooting percentage and a 35.1 percentage from three. Lake Superior has recorded an average of 33.5 rebounds per game this season.
Last Season's Series
Last season, the Lakers and the Rangers played each other twice with LSSU winning both games. The Lakers won the first meeting by a final score of 75-66 on Jan. 25, 2020 in Sault Ste. Marie and would record a 62-60 win on the road on Feb. 20, 2020.
Scouting the Rangers
Wisconsin-Parkside will play the Lakers for the only regular season meeting between the teams this season. The Rangers are led by head coach Luke Reigel, who is in his 18th season in the role. Last season, Parkside posted a 10-18 overall record (6-14 GLIAC) and was voted to finish in fifth in the GLIAC North Division standings in the Preseason Poll.
In the past week, the Rangers have recorded one win and two losses in three games. Parkside split a home series with the Wayne State Warriors with a 68-64 win on Friday, Feb. 12 and followed with a close 63-60 loss on Saturday. On Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Rangers dropped a game against the Purdue Northwest Pride by a final score of 84-75 to move their record to 8-6 this season.
The Rangers are led by senior guard Troy Croft, who ranks first among his teammates and tenth in the GLIAC, with 15.3 points per game but has missed the last five games. Croft, who averages 29.0 minutes per game for the Rangers, has compiled a 45.1 shooting percentage and a 42.0 percentage from three this season. In addition, Croft leads Parkside with 3.7 assists per game.
Sophomore guard Solomon Oraegbu has played in all 13 games for Parkside this season, and has started nine contests. Oraegbu averages 12.6 points per game this season to rank second on the Rangers and leads the team in rebounds per game with 5.4.
Junior forward Brandon Hau and freshman forward Colin O'Rourke each average over nine points per game this season with Hau at 9.5 and O'Rourke at 9.1. Hau ranks third on the team with a 48.9 shooting percentage and plays the second most minutes per game (32.0). O'Rourke leads the team with a 47.9 percentage from three and has started 10 games in his first collegiate season.
As a team, the Rangers offense is combining for 69.0 points per game this season on a 44.6 shooting percentage and a 37.0 percentage from three. Parkside has recorded an average of 31.0 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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