Dec. 1, 2007

Final Stats

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. - Grand Valley State University began the GLIAC season the same way it has played the rest of their season: with a win. The No. 2 Lakers defeated Lake Superior State 78-61 to kick off conference play, advancing their overall record to 8-0 on the year. Jason Jamerson notched a team-high 23 points on 9-12 shooting, while Callistus Eziukwu added 14 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in the winning effort.

Although Mark Morse hit a three-pointer to give LSSU the early lead at 3-2, it did not last very long. Jamerson scored his first points of the day on a three of his own to make the score 5-3 and spark a 9-2 run to make the score 11-5. That lead expanded to double digits early on, as Jamerson hit another long ball with 14:28 remaining in the first half to make the score 18-8. Consecutive three-pointers by Jamerson and David Thompson further expanded that lead to 14 points at 24-10.

A jumper by Bobby Tiernan with 8:32 remaining in the first half ballooned Grand Valley's lead to 16 at 31-15. Tiernan finished the day with seven points on 3-3 shooting, including a make on his only three-point attempt. A Ryan Kuhl shot from beyond the arc brought LSSU to within 10, 31-21, but Grand Valley poured it on for the rest of the first 20 minutes. With the score 33-23 at the 6:18 mark, Grand Valley scored 14 of the next 18 points to go up by 20 points, 47-27. The run included 10 points and two three-pointers by Pete Trammell, who finished the game with 17 points, second on the team. Two late free throws brought Lake Superior to within 18, 47-29, heading into the break.

L.J. Kilgore hit a jumper 16 seconds into the second half to restore the 20-point lead for Grand Valley. Lake Superior State, led by Tim VanOudheusden's game-high 24 points, kept challenging Grand Valley, but the Lakers responded every time. With 13:33 remaining, two free throws by Justin Ringler gave GVSU a 21-point lead, and later, two free throws by Pete Trammell gave the Lakers their biggest lead of the day at 66-44. LSSU never got closer than the final margin of 17, which happened when VanOudheusen hit a jumper with just 36 seconds left to make the score 78-61, the final score.

Grand Valley State University (8-0, 1-0) returns home to Allendale, Mich. for their next game. Saginaw Valley State University will come to the GVSU Fieldhouse to play the No. 2 Lakers on Thursday, Dec. 6. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.