SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team will wrap up 2021 with a pair of nonconference games at the Florida Tech Holiday Classic in Melbourne, Fla. on Sunday, Dec. 19 and Monday, Dec. 20. The Lakers will take on the Lynn University Fighting Knights on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. and will play the tournament host, Florida Tech, on Monday night at 7:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Lakers played their first two road games of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) season, traveling across the Upper Peninsula to play the Michigan Tech Huskies and the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Following the first eight games of the season, the Lakers have totaled a 6-2 overall record and a 2-2 mark in GLIAC competition. The Lakers dropped a 70-64 contest to the Huskies on Thursday, Dec. 9. Three Lakers posted double digit point totals in the game - C.J. Robinson (16), Malek Adams (15), Justin Fischer (10).
The Lakers responded with a hard-fought 74-72 victory over conference rival, Northern Michigan, on Saturday, Dec. 11. Adams led the team with 23 points in the game while David Wren ranked second on the Lakers as he scored 15 points off the bench. Fischer had a solid all-around game for the Lakers as he recorded a double-double with 11 points, and 10 rebounds. The senior guard also led the team with seven assists in the win.
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 eight games of the season, the Lakers have averaged 82.3 points per game, which ranks second in the GLIAC, on a 46.6 shooting percentage and 30.1 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 eight games of the 2021-22 season, four Lakers have averaged double-digit point per game totals. Adams leads the team with 17.5 points per game which ranks seventh in the conference. Adams' 46.1 shooting percentage also ranks seventh among all GLIAC players who have played in at least 60% of their team's games this season. Ebeling follows with 14.8 points per game while Xander Okerlund (11.4) and Justin Fischer (10.6) round out the team's double-digit scorers. Freshman Tyson Edmondson's 66.7 shooting percentage from three this season leads all GLIAC players.
In addition to their offensive play, Fischer (5.6) and Ebeling (5.3) rank first and second on the team in rebounds. Fischer, who is averaging 28.5 minutes on the floor per game, ranks first on the Lakers and in the conference in assists per game with 6.1. Adams ranks fourth among all GLIAC players in assists per game (4.3) and leads the conference in steals per game (2.4).
The Lynn University Fighting Hawks
The Lynn University Fighting Hawks have totaled a 5-3 overall record through eight games this season and hold a 1-3 mark in conference play. Most recently, the Fighting Hawks recorded an 86-54 win over Georgian Court on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Lynn University has averaged 83.6 points per game this season on a 47.0 shooting percentage while also averaging 39.3 rebounds per game. The Fighting Hawks have three players who are averaging 10 or more points per game this season, including leading-scorer Christian Peevy. Peevy, a grad student who plays both the guard and forward position, averages 20.6 points per game this season on a 51.8 shooting percentage. Peevy also leads his teammates in rebounds per game this season with 9.3 boards per game. Tommie Luke (13.8 ppg) and Brandon Bornelus (11.8 ppg) round out Lynn's top three scorers. The Fighting Hawks are led by Jeff Price who is in his eighth season as the head coach at Lynn.
The Florida Tech Panthers
The Florida Tech Panthers have combined for a 8-2 overall record this season after the first 10 games which includes a 3-1 mark in conference play. The Panthers most recent game was on Saturday, Dec. 11 as they fell to No. 5 ranked Nova Southeastern by a final score of 112-76. Prior to the loss, the Panthers had won eight straight games. Through the first 10 games of the season, Florida Tech averages 85.8 points per game on a 45.6 shooting percentage while adding 46.7 rebounds per game. The Panthers have four players averaging 12 or more points per game this season, including leading scorer Sesan Russell. Russell, a junior guard, has started all 10 games for the Panthers this season and averages 17.6 points per game. Senior forward Mekhii Noble ranks second on the team in points per game (16.3) and leads his teammates in rebounds per game (12.8) this season. Billy Mims, who is in his 17th season as the head coach at Florida Tech, leads the Panthers.
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