HAAMOND, Ind. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball dropped a close Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) match-up to the Purdue Northwest Pride by a final score of 88-86 on the road on Saturday, Jan. 16 at the PNW Fitness Center in Hammond, Ind.
First Half:
The Lakers and the Pride played an even first half with both teams scoring 42 points in the first twenty minutes of action.
Purdue Northwest's Jyrus Freels, who led his team in points in yesterday's game, would net the first five points in the game to put the Pride ahead early. David Wren would get the Lakers on the board with a three pointer and followed up with a layup on the Lakers next possession to make it a two point game in PNW's favor (7-5).
With 16 minutes left in the half, Malek Adams would bring the Lakers within four points of the Pride when he scored on a jump shot.
Just over a minute later, junior C.J. Robinson would score from behind the three point line to bring the Lakers within six points of Purdue Northwest (20-14) and the next basket made was another three pointer from the Lakers. Nigel Colvin would make the shot to bring the Lakers within three points (20-17).
Lake Superior State would respond to the lead that the Pride built through the midway point of the half as the Lakers went on a run of eight straight points. Led by Wren, who had six of the eight points in the stretch, the Lakers cut their deficit to just one point (29-28).
C.J. Robinson would give the Lakers their first lead in the game when he made a pair of free throws with 3:44 left in the half to put his team ahead, 35-34.
The Pride would rebuild their lead to five minutes with a minute left in the half but the Lakers would not let the lead stand. Kemon Bassett made a pair of free throws and freshman Andy Soma made a three point jumper with one second left on the clock to end the first half tied at 42.
Second Half:
Adams gave the Lakers the first lead of the second half (44-42) with a jump shot. The two GLIAC opponents would trade off points through the first four minutes before Adams extended the Lakers lead to six points (54-48) with another three point basket.
Colvin would score consecutive baskets for the Lakers with a pair of jump shots made to put his team ahead by seven points.
With ten minutes left in the game, Brandon Allen gave the Lakers a one point lead (69-68) with a three point jump shot. The Pride would continue to respond with every lead the Lakers built, and would hold a six point advantage over the Lakers with 5:43 left to play.
Colvin would make a three pointer with 5:30 left on the clock to bring the Lakers within three points but the Pride wouldn't let the Lakers come any closer at that point. PNW scored a quick five points to hold an eight point lead with just over four minutes left.
Lake Superior State would not go out without a fight in the final minutes, Colvin and Adams each netted threes to make it a two point game with :44 seconds left to play. On the final play of the game, the Lakers fell just short with Colvin's three pointer missing to give the Pride an 88-86 win.
Breaking Down the Game:
Five Lakers recorded at least ten points in the game: Wren, 18; Colvin, 16; Adams, 15; Bassett, 12; and Robinson, 10. Wren led the Lakers with 18 points, going 7-for-11 in the game including 2-for3 from the three point line. Colvin paced the Lakers from three with four of his seven attempts going in.
Robinson led the team with seven assists while Bassett ranked first among his teammates with seven rebounds against the Pride.
The Lakers finished the game with a 51.7 shooting percentage, going 31-for-60 in the game. On the other end of the court, the Pride went 37-for-68 in the game to total a 54.4 shooting percentage. Purdue Northwest outrebounded the Lakers, 40-22, in the game.
What's Next:
The Lakers return home next weekend for a pair of games against Michigan Tech in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium. The team will play on Friday, Jan. 22 at 3:00 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 23 at 1:00 p.m.
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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