SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team dropped a close game to the Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers by a final score of 82-75 on Friday, Feb. 19 at the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) game.
First Half
At the end of the first half, the Lakers and Rangers were tied at 37.
Parkside took an early 4-0 lead over the Lakers in the first two minutes of play before Kemon Bassett got the Lakers on the board with a layup (4-2). The Rangers would continue to come out strong to open the game and would hold a seven point lead over the Lakers after four minutes (11-4).
With 12:53 remaining in the first half, Parkside would hold a double digit lead over the Lakers after Vinson Sigmon made a three pointer to go up 18-8. The Lakers would respond with a 13 point run to regain the game's lead and go ahead, 21-18 with just over nine minutes left in the half.
The two GLIAC rivals would trade points through the rest of the half and with 1:38 left, Malek Adams would hit a three pointer to bring the Lakers within three points of the Rangers (35-32). Trailing by three points in the final seconds, C.J. Robinson made a three pointer to tie the game with one second left on the clock.
Second Half
After the Rangers scored the first three points of the second half, Adams would tie the game at 40 when he made a three pointer in the first minute of play. Less than a minute later, Adams would score another three to give the Lakers a 43-40 lead.
With 14:36 left to play in the half, Xander Okerlund would continue the Lakers strong shooting with a three pointer of his own to bring the Lakers within a point of Parkside (47-46).
By the halfway point of the second half, the Lakers trailed by a point, 56-55 and Bassett would make a layup to regain the LSSU lead, 57-56.
Bassett made another layup with exactly three minutes left on the clock to tie the game at 67 but Ranger freshman Josiah Palmer hit two three pointers in the next minute to give the Parkside a six point lead (75-69).
Parkside would finish the game strong and would clinch the win by a final score of 82-73.
Breaking Down the Game
Kemon Bassett led the way for the Lakers with 24 points in the game, as he played 33 minutes off the bench. Bassett went 10-for-16 in the game while also adding a team-best 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. Bassett would also lead the Lakers in the assist category with six in the game.
Malek Adams finished the game with 14 points for the Lakers as he scored a team-leading three baskets from beyond the arc in the game. Adams, who now has 1,027 points, became the 43rd Laker all-time to reach the 1,000 point mark in Tuesday's win over Ferris State.
The Lakers finished the game with a 43.5 shooting percentage, going 27-for-62 in the game. On the other end of the floor, the Rangers went 29-for-56 in the game to total a 51.8 shooting percentage. Lake Superior State and Parkside each recorded 31 rebounds in the game.
What's Next
The Lakers and Rangers will close out the weekend series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium. Prior to the game, the Lakers will recognize their two graduating seniors, Brandon Allen and Sam Cornett.
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.
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