SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. -  The Lake Superior State men's basketball team earned a road win against the Northern Michigan Wildcats by a final score of 70-60 on Saturday, Jan. 30 in the PEIF Gymnasium in Marquette, Mich. in the first game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) series.

First Half

Following the first twenty minutes of play, the Lakers trailed the Wildcats by four points, 35-31. 

In the first three minutes of play, the two GLIAC rivals would exchange points but the Lakers would take a four point lead (7-3) at the 17:24 mark when David Wren made a three point jump shot. Kemon Bassett would score on back-to-back scoring plays for the Lakers with a layup and a jump shot to give the Lakers an 11-6 lead over NMU. 

The Lakers extended the lead to nine points with 11:23 left to play in the half (19-10) as Brandon Allen and Xander Okerlund each came off the bench to contribute offensively for LSSU. The Wildcats would respond with a seven point run, led by Max Bjorklund who scored five points in the stretch. 

Bjorklund would tie the game at 21 with 6:19 left in the half and would give the Wildcats their first lead since the opening minute of the game with a successful free throw to go ahead 22-21.

In the closing five minutes of the half, the two teams would exchange points as well as the lead. In the final ten seconds, Malek Adams would make a layup to bring the Lakers within four points of the home squad to close the first twenty minutes of play (35-31). 

Bassett led the Lakers in the first half with 13 points, while Wren ranked second among his teammates with seven points in the half. 

Second Half 

The Lakers would even the score at 35 within the first three minutes when David Wren made a free throw and would follow with a second successful shot to give the Lakers their first lead in the second half (36-35). Bassett woud score on a layup with 16:14 left in the half and Wren capitalized on a steal to score on a dunk to give the Lakers a three point lead with 14:32 left (40-37).

When Northern's Tre Harvey made a jump shot with 11:57 left in the half to tie the game at 44, which would be the last time in the contest that the score would be even. 

The Lakers would outscore the Wildcats by an 11-3 margin in the next stretch of action to hold a nine point lead (56-47) with under seven minutes to play. NMU would try to rally in the final minutes but the closest they would come within the lead was four points. 

Lake Superior State would secure the win by ten points, 70-60, to clinch the opening game of the series. 

Breaking Down the Win

Bassett continued his dominance on the floor for the Lakers this season with a season-high 24 points in the game, recording his eighth consecutive game with double-digits in points. With 12 rebounds against the Wildcats, Bassett posted his third double-double of the season.

Wren joined Bassett as the other Laker with 10 or more points in the game with 15 points in the victory. Junior guard Justin Fischer finished the game with five points and a team-leading 13 rebounds. 

The Lakers finished the game with a 41.7 shooting percentage, going 25-for-60 in the game. On the other end of the floor, the Wildcats went 20-for-62 in the game to total a 32.3 shooting percentage. Lake Superior State outrebounded NMU, 46-31 in the game. 

What's Next

The Lakers and Wildcats will close out the weekend series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. in the PEIF Gym in Marquette, Mich. 

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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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