**UPDATE: The men's game that was rescheduled for Sunday, Jan. 16 at 3:00 p.m. at Davenport has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols going into effect within the Davenport program. A decision on rescheduling will be made at a later date.**
SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team is set for a road trip this weekend as the team will play a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) game against the Grand Valley State Lakers on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 3:00 p.m. at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich.
Last Time Out
The Lakers look to build on their three game win streak this weekend as the team is coming off a sweep over GLIAC opponents Saginaw Valley and Wayne State last weekend. Following the pair of home wins, the Lakers have totaled a 9-3 overall record and a 4-2 mark in GLIAC competition.
On Thursday, Jan. 6, the Lakers defeated Saginaw Valley by a final score of 99-87.The Lakers were led by redshirt senior guard Malek Adams, who had a career-game, scoring a career-high 33 points in the win. Adams finished the game with 11 field goals on 18 attempts, which tied his previous career-high in field goals. The senior guard also recorded a career-best five three-pointers in the win. Kemon Bassett ranked second on the team with 24 points in the victory as he went 5-for-11 from the field, and made an impressive 13-of-16 free throws.
The Lakers followed with a 73-63 victory over Wayne State on Saturday afternoon to record their fourth conference win of the season. The team was once again led by Adams who posted a 24 point effort against the Warriors. The senior went 8-for-20 in the game, and scored on seven of his nine free throw attempts. For the second straight game, Bassett ranked second on the team as he scored 19 points in the win and led the team with six assists.
For his play during the weekend, Adams was named GLIAC North Player of the Week. Adams finished the weekend with 57 points on a 50.0 shooting percentage for the Lakers.
The Lakers
The Lakers are led by Steve Hettinga, the all-time winningest coach in Laker Basketball history, who enters his 15th season in the role. Assistant coach Ted Stowe returns for his fifth season in the role on Hettinga's staff while assistant coach Hugh Clarke joins the staff for his first season. Through the first 12 games of the season, the Lakers have averaged 81.8 points per game, which ranks second in the GLIAC, on a 46.6 shooting percentage and 31.9 rebounds per game.
Lake Superior State will be led by a strong senior class which includes returners Kemon Bassett, Malek Adams, C.J. Robinson, David Wren, Justin Fischer and transfer Caden Ebeling, who joins the Lakers after a solid career at Albion College. Hettinga will look to this group's leadership on-and-off the court this season. Bassett, who was recently named to the All-GLIAC North Preseason Team.
For their play during the 2020-21 season, junior forward Kemon Bassett was named First Team All-GLIAC, redshirt senior guard Malek Adams was named Second Team All-GLIAC and junior guard C.J. Robinson was named to the All-GLIAC Defensive Team.
Lake Superior State will also be returning a junior class of Dan Few and Xander Okerlund as well as sophomores Blake Cassidy and Andy Soma.
Hettinga's squad will welcome a large freshman class this season with seven student-athletes joining the Lakers. The freshman class includes three players from Ann Arbor Huron High School (Tyson Edmondson, Kingsley Perkins and Devin Womack) who will look to build on their chemistry and success from their high school careers at the collegiate level. The remaining first-year players include Drew Hess, a 6-2 guard from Oscoda, Mich., Ben Patrick, a 6-2 guard from Oklahoma City, Okla., Kendall Smith, a 6-8 forward from Muskegon, Mich., and Hunter Soper, a 6-6 forward/guard from Lexington, Mich.
Leading the Lakers
Through the first 12 games of the 2021-22 season, four Lakers have averaged double-digit point per game totals. Adams leads the team with 20.1 points per game which is second-best in the conference. In addition, Adams' 49.4 shooting percentage ranks in the top twenty among all GLIAC players who have played in at least 60% of their team's games this season. Bassett, who played in both games for the Lakers last weekend, ranks second among his teammates in points per game with 15.8. Ebeling follows with 14.8 points per game while Xander Okerlund (12.2) rounds out the team's double-digit scorers. Robinson (9.5 ppg) and Justin Fischer (9.4 ppg) are just outside the double-digit mark this season for the Lakers. Fischer's 51.7% shooting percentage ranks 11th overall in the conference.
Freshman Tyson Edmondson's 68.2 shooting percentage from three this season leads all GLIAC players.
In addition to their offensive play, Fischer (5.7) and Ebeling (5.3) rank first and second on the team in rebounds. Fischer, who is averaging 30.3 minutes on the floor per game, ranks first on the Lakers and in the conference in assists per game with 6.0. Adams ranks fifth among all GLIAC players in assists per game (3.9) and leads the conference in steals per game (2.3).
The Grand Valley State Lakers
The Grand Valley State Lakers have totaled a 9-3 overall record through 12 games this season and hold a 3-2 mark in conference play. Most recently, the Lakers dropped a GLIAC game to the Ferris State Bulldogs on Thursday, Jan. 13 by a final score of 83-76. The Lakers have averaged 78.3 points per game this season on a 48.6 shooting percentage while also averaging 38.8 rebounds per game. Grand Valley is led by senior forward Jake Van Tubbergen, who ranks sixth in the conference with 16.8 points per game this season. Van Tubbergen's 59.7 shooting percentage is good for fourth place in the GLIAC while his 10.1 rebounds per game leads the conference. Senior guard Christian Negron ranks second on the team with 12.3 points per game and his 68.6 shooting percentage is second-best in the GLIAC. Senior guard Jordan Harris rounds out the team's top three scorers as he averages 11.6 points per game. Grand Valley is coached by Ric Wesley, who is in his 18th season in the role for the Lakers.
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