March 6, 2009

Box Score

Findlay, Ohio - Sophomore forward Justin Ringler led three Lakers in double figures with 19 points as Grand Valley State advanced to its fourth straight GLIAC Tournament Championship game. Grand Valley State will play #1-ranked Findlay Saturday at 7 p.m. for the third straight year in the GLIAC title game.

Grand Valley State took a quick 4-0 lead on jumpers by Pete Trammell and Nick West. GVSU built a 17-11 lead, but Lake Superior State used a 12-2 run to take a 23-19 lead with 4:25 left in the first half. Pete Trammell scored on a layup and converted a three-point play to give GVSU a 24-23 lead with 3:13 left in the first half. LSSU quickly regained the lead (25-24), but GVSU ended the half with an 8-0 run to take a 32-25 lead into the lockerroom. Toreau Brown started the run with a jumper and Ringler then scored three straight baskets in the final 1:57 to give GVSU its largest lead of the half.

Freshman guard Alvin Storrs scored the opening bucket of the second half, then followed a LSSU basket with a three-point play to up the Laker lead to 37-27. Lake Superior State clawed its way back and trailed by three (39-36) on a Ryan Kuhl layup with 14:30 left in the game. Storrs pulled down a defensive rebound and then scored on the offensive end to give GVSU a 41-36 lead and Pete Trammell followed a LSSU made free throw with a three-pointer to up the Grand Valley State advantage to 44-37 with 12:04 left. One minute following Pete Trammell's trey, younger brother Wes Trammell drilled a three of his own to give GVSU a 47-37 lead. Ringler answered a pair of Lake Superior State free throws with a jumper in the paint and LSSU would get no closer than 10 points for the remaining 11:04. Grand Valley State led by as many as 17 points in the second half.

GVSU shot 62.5 percent for the game (30-48), including an incredible 81.0 percent in the second half (17-21). The Lakers converted 18-of-29 from the charity stripe (62.1 percent) and outrebounded LSSU 37-28. The stingy GVSU defense limited Lake Superior State to 38.7 percent shooting from the floor (24-62) and 36.8 percent from the three-point line (7-for-19). Grand Valley State outscored LSSU 40-26 in the paint and 12-4 on fastbreak points. The GVSU bench also held a 34-16 advantage over LSSU. P>

Ringler led the way with 19 points, while Pete Trammell and Alvin Storrs each chipped in 17 points. Freshman guard Wes Trammell added nine points, while freshman center Nick West scored seven points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

Grand Valley State improved to 10-2 in GLIAC Tournament action under head coach Ric Wesley...The GVSU senior class is now 111-17 in their careers, including a 10-1 GLIAC Tournament record and a 16-3 postseason record.