SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will match up against the Grand Valley State University Lakers in the 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Men's Basketball Semifinals on Thursday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. EST in Hammond, Ind. on the campus of Purdue Northwest. The LSSU Lakers are the No. 7 seed in the tournament while the GVSU Lakers hold the No. 2 spot in the seeding.
Purdue Northwest is hosting the eight-team men's tournament on its Hammond campus that begins tomorrow and concludes with the championship game on Sunday, March 7.
The Lakers advanced to the quarterfinals after their opening round game against Northwood on Tuesday, March 2 was cancelled due to COVID-19 test results within the Timberwolves program.
The Lakers
Lake Superior State, the No. 7 seed in tomorrow's meeting, finished the regular season with an 8-10 overall record through the 18-game GLIAC season. Last weekend, the Lakers played a road series against a tough Ashland team and dropped both games to the Eagles, by scores of 78-60 and 84-73.
Heading into the quarterfinals, 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 7.4. Bassett's 54.1 shooting percentage leads the Lakers and ranks fourth in the GLIAC. Heading into the game against the GVSU Lakers, Bassett ranks 10th among all GLIAC players in points per game and ninth in rebounds per game.
Redshirt senior Malek Adams has averaged 14.1 points per game for the Lakers to rank second on the team and 13th in the GLIAC. Adams has had an especially strong second half of the season for the Lakers as the guard has scored 14 or more points in eight straight games. On Feb. 13, Adams posted a season-best 28 point game. The guard ranks third on the team in three point percentage (39.8%) this season and has recorded two or more three pointers in six consecutive contests.
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 rounds out the Lakers top three scorers this season with an average of 13.3 points per game. Through 18 games, Wren has recorded a 43.8 shooting percentage from three and a 48.6 mark in field goals. Wren has posted double-figures in 15 of 18 games this season and enters the game against the Lakers coming off an 18-point game at Ashland.
Junior Justin Fischer (9.1 points per game) and sophomore C.J. Robinson (6.6 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 32.3 minutes per game on the floor while also recording a team-best 2.9 assists per game. Fischer averages 30.7 minutes of playing time each game while also leading the team in rebounds (7.8) and tying Robinson for the team-lead in assists per game (29). With a 51.7 shooting percentage this season, Fischer ranks eighth in the category in the GLIAC while also ranking in the top ten in rebounds (fifth) among all GLIAC players.
As a team, the Lakers offense is combining for 74.7 points per game this season, which ranks second among all GLIAC teams, on a 46.0 shooting percentage and a 35.4 percentage from three. Lake Superior has recorded an average of 32.6 rebounds per game this season.
Scouting the GVSU Lakers
Grand Valley State University finished as the No. 2 seed following the GLIAC regular season with a 11-6 overall record. The Lakers are led by head coach Ric Wesley, who is in his 17th season in the role at Grand Valley.
Most recently, the Lakers played Northwood in the final weekend of the regular season and won both games on the road by scores of 98-69 and 67-51. Grand Valley enters the quarterfinal game against Lake Superior State winning six of the last seven games.
The Lakers have five players averaging over 11 points per game this season, led by senior forward Jake Van Tubbergen with 13.6 points per game. Van Tubbergen ranks 15th in scoring in the GLIAC this season and ranks second on the Lakers in rebounds with 7.9 per game, which ranks fourth in the conference. Christian Negron, a senior forward for the Lakers, has totaled a GLIAC-best 63.8 shooting percentage this season and averages 13.4 points per game. Negron leads Grand Valley in rebounds per game with 8.8, which is second-best in the conference.
Senior guard Jordan Harris (12.9 points per game), redshirt senior guard Deleon Brown (11.9 points per game) and senior guard Isaac Gassman (11.2 points per game) round out the top five scorers for the Lakers this season. Four of these five players for the Lakers have started all 17 games for GVSU this season.
As a team, the Lakers offense is combining for 70.6 points per game this season on a conference-leading 47.5 shooting percentage and a 37.0 percentage from three. Grand Valley has recorded an average of 35.7 rebounds per game this season.
Follow the Lakers
Due to GLIAC mandates, fans are not permitted to the 2021 GLIAC Basketball Tournament.
Every tournament game held at Purdue Northwest will be available to watch on JEDtv.com. The cost for viewers is $9.95 per game and/or $19.95 for a tournament pass, which includes all games for both men's & women's tournaments. Streaming can be purchased by clicking here.
For more information on the 2021 Tournament, click here.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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