Feb. 17, 2011

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Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State jumped ahead of #3 Findlay by 17 points on Thursday night (Feb. 17) and held on to capture the huge 72-66 conference victory over the Oilers. GVSU led by just a point at halftime, but used a 25-9 run to start the second half and build enough of a cushion to total its 14th consecutive home win. The Lakers received 34 points from their bench players and totaled a 38-26 rebounding edge to pull out the win.

It was one of GVSU's best games of the season and a complete team effort, as all nine Lakers played at least 13 minutes and all scored during the game. Grand Valley State shot 50.0 percent from the field and connected on 22-of-31 free throw tries, while tying its season-high of eight blocked shots. The Lakers move to 18-6 overall on the season and 13-4 in league play. GVSU is a perfect 12-0 at home this season. Findlay falls for just the second time this season, moving to 21-2 on the year and 14-2 in the conference. The Oilers shot just 39.7 percent from the field and made only 7-of-25 three-pointers for a 28.0 percentage.

GVSU re-entered the Midwest Regional rankings this week in 10th place after not being included in last week's rankings. Findlay was the third-ranked team in the region and the top team in the GLIAC, giving the Lakers a quality victory. The top eight teams in the region advance to the NCAA Tournament.

What turned the game in Grand Valley State's favor was a huge run to start the second half, including three consecutive trifectas that widened the gap to nearly 20 points. The Lakers scored on back-to-back layups from senior Justin Ringler and junior James Thomas to start the half. With a 32-29 lead, sophomore Breland Hogan knocked down a jumper, followed by a Thomas jumper. Junior Wes Trammell then scored on a fast break layup and Alvin Storrs buried a three-pointer from the corner, which was quickly followed by a Trammell jumper. At this point, GVSU was up 43-29 just six minutes into the half.

It was no surprise that Findlay stayed in the game and proceeded to chip away at the Laker lead. The Oilers scored seven straight points and pulled to within 43-36. That was when GVSU went beyond the arc to push the lead out to double figures. Thomas buried a three-pointer, then moved several feet behind the line to drill his second triple try in less than a minute. On the Lakers' next possession, sophomore Tony Peters fired from long range and swished the net, putting GVSU ahead by a 53-36 score with over nine minutes remaining.

Grand Valley State would own a double-digit lead for the next six minutes, but Findlay continued to peck away. The Lakers, however, made enough free throws in the second half (18-of-25) and got enough key stops to close out the win. Findlay did get back to within four points and had a late three-pointer from sharpshooter Nathan Hyde rim out, but the style points and the final margin of the game do not matter. GVSU had clinched its biggest win of the season.

There were six ties and four lead changes in the first half. GVSU built a 16-10 lead on a Storrs layup and a 19-12 advantage on a three-pointer from Thomas. The rest of the half was back and forth, with Findlay only getting on top of the Lakers by one point on two occasions. Peters rebounded a missed GVSU three-pointer in the final seconds and scored on a layup with one second left in the half to take a 28-27 lead into the locker room.

Thomas played very well for Grand Valley State, making 6-of-12 field goals and 3-of-4 three-pointers for a team-high 18 points. He pulled down five boards and dished two assists with two steals. Peters joined him in double figures, as he scored 11 points in just 13 minutes off the bench. He was 3-of-5 from the field and 4-of-6 at the line. Trammell was the third Laker in double digits, as he added 10 points and four rebounds.

Ringler struggled from the field, but still put up nine points, eight rebounds, and two assists. He also moved into eighth place all-time in GVSU history in scoring, as he passed Charlie Mandt and now has 1,451 career points. Storrs supplied nine points, four rebounds, and strong perimeter defense on Findlay's guards. Junior Nick Carreri made both of his field goal attempts and totaled four points, a career-high four blocks, two boards, an assist, and a steal off the bench. Freshman center Asauhn Tatum added five rebounds and three blocked shots.

Findlay was led by its two guards, Nathan Hyde and Kyle Caiola. Hyde made four triples and scored a game-high 22 points, while Caiola was 6-of-12 shooting and supplied 18 points. Tyler Sparks neared a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.

GVSU hosts Wayne State on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 19) at 1:00 p.m. in another critical game, as the teams head towards the postseason. The Warriors are sixth in the latest regional rankings and are 17-6 overall on the year.