SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will conclude the 2021 regular season with a trip to Ashland, Ohio for a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) against the Ashland University Eagles. The series is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. tipoff on Friday, Feb. 26 and will wrap on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 4:00 p.m. Both games will be played at Kates Gymnasium.
Due to COVID-19 related changes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) scheduling process for the 2021 season, teams will play a pair of games against the same opponent each weekend.
The Lakers
Lake Superior State has totaled a 8-8 overall record through 16 games of GLIAC play this season. Last weekend, the Lakers played a home series against Wisconsin-Parkside and the teams would split the series. Lake Superior State dropped the first game, 82-75, and responded with a 72-68 win on Saturday.
Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, 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 16.1 points per game and ranks second in rebounds per game with 7.6. Bassett's 54.2 shooting percentage leads the Lakers and ranks fourth in the GLIAC. Heading into the series against the Eagles, Bassett ranks seventh among all GLIAC players in both points per game and rebounds.
Redshirt senior Malek Adams has averaged 13.7 points per game for the Lakers, and has scored 14 or more points in six straight games. Against the Northwood Timberwolves on Feb. 13, Adams scored a season-best 28 point game. The guard ranks second on the team in three point percentage (40.5%) this season.
Adams, who played in his 100th career game as a Laker on Feb. 20 against Parkside, became the 43rd Lakers in men's basketball history to reach 1,000 career points as he hit the milestone on Feb. 16. Adams, is the first Laker since Michael Nicholson during the 2017-18 season to record 1,000 career points.
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 has averaged 13.6 points per game. Through 16 games, Wren has recorded a team-high 40.7 shooting percentage from three and a 50.0 mark in field goals. This season, Wren has posted double-figures in 14 of the 16 games.
Junior Justin Fischer (9.4 points per game) and sophomore C.J. Robinson (6.9 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 32.4 minutes per game on the floor while also recording a team-best 3.1 assists per game. Fischer averages 30.9 minutes of playing time each game while also leading the team in rebounds (7.7). With a 51.8 shooting percentage this season, Fischer ranks ninth in the category in the GLIAC while also ranking in the top ten in rebounds (sixth) among all GLIAC players.
As a team, the Lakers offense is combining for 75.8 points per game this season, which ranks second among all GLIAC teams, on a conference-leading 46.8 shooting percentage and a 34.9 percentage from three. Lake Superior has recorded an average of 32.5 rebounds per game this season.
Scouting the Eagles
Ashland will play the Lakers for the only regular season meeting between the teams this season. The Eagles are led by head coach John Ellenwood, who is in his 12th season in the role. Last season, Ashland posted a 17-12 overall record (10-10 GLIAC) and was voted to finish in fourth in the GLIAC South Division standings in the Preseason Poll.
Last weekend, the Eagles split a home series against the Northwood Timberwolves, winning the first game by a final score of 60-50 and falling in the second game, 73-68. Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Eagles hold a 9-7 record in GLIAC play.
The Eagles are led by sophomore guard Brandon Haraway, who ranks first among his teammates and sixth in the GLIAC, with 16.5 points per game. Haraway, who averages 34.2 minutes on the floor for the Eagles, has compiled a 43.8 shooting percentage and a 43.8 percentage from three this season. In addition, Haraway ranks second among his teammates with 5.5 rebounds per game.
Redshirt-senior guard Bo Furcron has started 13 games of the 15 games he has played this season, and ranks second on the team with 11.8 points per game. Aaron Thompson, a redshirt-senior guard, rounds out the top three scorers for Ashland. Thompson averages 10.6 points per game while also leading the team in rebounds per game (7.7).
As a team, the Eagles offense is combining for 66.5 points per game this season on a 43.3 shooting percentage and a 37.3 percentage from three. Ashland has recorded an average of 32.1 rebounds per game this season.
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.
For more information, visit lssulakers.com
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