SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State women's basketball team will resume Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this week as the team travels to Big Rapids, Mich. to take on the Ferris State Bulldogs on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 5:30 p.m. and returns home for an afternoon contest on Saturday, Jan. 22 against the Northwood Timberwolves at 1:00 p.m. in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium.
Last Time Out
The Lakers have not played since prior to Christmas as the team's last four scheduled GLIAC games have been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols going into effect. Entering the game against Ferris State, the Lakers hold a 2-8 overall record and a 1-3 mark in conference play.
Lake Superior State last competed on Dec. 19 against Southern New Hampshire University in Saint Leo University's Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel Classic. The Lakers fell by a final score of 78-63 to the Penmen. Junior forward Mattison Rayman led the Lakers in the game as she totaled a career-high 28 points. Rayman went 6-for-8 in the game from the field and an impressive 15-for-18 from the free throw line. In addition to the 28 points, Rayman added 15 rebounds to post her second double-double of the tournament.
The Lakers
The Lakers are led by Brandon Lokken, is in his fifth season in the role, while assistant coach Allison Todd begins her third season with the Lakers. Through the first 10 games of the season, the Lakers average 56.1 points per game on a 37.2 shooting percentage and 32.9 rebounds per game.
The team will look to a number of upperclassmen to help lead the Lakers after coming off a challenging 2020-21 season as the team felt the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Junior forward Mattison Rayman, who was named Second Team All-GLIAC last season, will be the driving force behind the Lakers after coming off a great sophomore season. Senior forward Makenzie Bray will be looked upon by Coach Lokken after a solid season for the Lakers last year while junior guard Margot Woughter will play a big role for the Lakers after missing most of last season with an injury.
Lake Superior State will also look for contributions from junior forward Kelly Olthof, sophomore guard Jaden Wilder, sophomore guard Jozie Bontrager, and junior guard Carson Nitz. The team will have one newcomer this season, CeCe Hacker, a freshman guard from Omaha, Neb.
Leading the Lakers
Through the first 10 games of the 2021-22 season, the trio of Woughter, Bray and Rayman have been leading the way offensively for the Lakers. All three Lakers rank within the top-21 scorers in the GLIAC this season. Rayman ranks first on the team with 13.2 points per game while Woughter (11.9 ppg) and Bray (11.2 ppg) follow. Rayman enters this weekend's contest ranking 1`th in the GLIAC in points per game and second in the conference in both rebounds per game (10.3) and blocks per game (1.5). Rayman is one of only two players in the conference to average 10 or more rebounds per game this season.
Junior Kelly Olthof leads the Lakers in shooting percentage this season with a 52.6% mark, which ranks fifth among GLIAC players. Freshman guard CeCe Hacker leads her teammates in assists per game this season with 2.9 per game.
The Ferris State Bulldogs
The Ferris State Bulldogs have posted a 12-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in conference play this season. Ferris State has averaged 72.4 points per game this season on a 40.2 shooting percentage and a 35.1 mark from three while also adding 38.8 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs are led by the duo of Kadyn Blanchard and Adrienne Anderson, who rank first and second on the team in points per game. Blanchard, a sophomore guard, leads the Bulldogs with 15.3 points per game, which is good for fifth in the GLIAC and ranks first on the team with a 44.6 three-point shooting percentage. Anderson, a redshirt senior, ranks ninth in the GLIAC with an average of 13.5 points per game this season. Anderson leads her teammates in minutes per game (32.6 mpg) and ranks second on the Bulldogs in assists per game (3.9). The Bulldogs are led by Kurt Westendorp, who is in his second season as head coach at Ferris.
The Northwood University Timberwolves
The Northwood Timberwolves have combined for a 9-6 overall record through 15 games played, which includes a 3-5 record in GLIAC competition. The Timberwolves head into Saturday's game riding a three-game win streak with all three victories coming in conference play. The team's most recent win came on Monday, Jan. 17 as the Timberwolves defeated the Wisconsin Parkside Rangers by a final score of 85-78. Through 15 games this season, Northwood averages 73.3 points per game on a 40.9 shooting percentage while adding 37.4 rebounds per game. The Timberwolves are led by junior guard Makenzie Todd who averages 30.2 minutes per game to lead her teammates, currently ranks sixth in the conference with 14.5 points per game. Timberwolves sophomore center Alana Nelson leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per game, which is good for seventh in the GLIAC. The Timberwolves are led by head coach Autumn Haggadone, who is in the midst of her first season in the role at Northwood.
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