Feb. 26, 2011

Box Score

Big Rapids, Mich. - In one of the most exciting games in recent GVSU history, the Lakers upended GLIAC North Division champion Ferris State by an 82-80 score on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 26) in Big Rapids, Mich. In front of a Wink Arena record crowd of 2,443, the Lakers took down their conference rival on a buzzer-beating jumper from sophomore Breland Hogan in overtime to give Ferris State its first home loss of the season. An epic back-and-forth battle that saw 12 ties and eight lead changes pitted the Lakers and Bulldogs in their second overtime clash this season.

The win gives Grand Valley State a 19-7 overall record, while the Lakers are 14-5 in league play. Ferris State falls to 20-6 on the year and 16-3 in the conference. FSU had been 12-0 at home this season entering the game. It was just the second time in GVSU history that the Lakers played the same opponent in overtime twice in the same season. Grand Valley State and Hillsdale battled in overtime in both meetings in the 1992-93 season.

With the victory, GVSU emerges as the conference's #3 seed in the upcoming GLIAC Tournament. The Lakers were tied for third place with both Hillsdale and Wayne State with identical 14-5 league records, but Grand Valley State came out of a complicated tie-breaking process as the #3 seed. GVSU will host #6 Michigan Tech in the quarterfinals of the GLIAC Tournament on Wednesday night (Mar. 2) in Fieldhouse Arena at 6:00 p.m.

The dramatic end of regulation was essentially a classic one-on-one battle between Hogan and Ferris State point guard Darien Gay. A pair of free throws from Gay brought the Bulldogs within a point at 62-61 with just under 2:30 to play in the game. On the other end, Hogan answered with a jumper and a driving layup on consecutive possessions, upping the Laker advantage to 66-61 with 1:25 remaining.

Back on the FSU side, Gay drained a jumper with 1:10 left and buried two free throws with 34 ticks on the clock to make the score, 66-65. Hogan was fouled on the Lakers' possession and he stepped to the line to knock down both freebies, putting the score at 68-65 with 25 seconds left. After a missed Bulldog three-pointer, Gay went up for a trifecta with 15 seconds to play and was fouled in the act of shooting. He calmly stepped to the line and the 73 percent free throw shooter made all three attempts, knotting the score at 68-68.

Grand Valley State had a pair of looks in the final 15 seconds off the hands of senior Justin Ringler, but both attempts were off target and no fouls were called, despite physical play the entire game. The teams would head to overtime tied at 68-68, as each team scored 34 points in both halves. In their first overtime battle on Jan. 29 in the `131 Showdown' at Van Andel Arena, the teams went to overtime with a 67-67 tie score. Ferris State went on to win by a 79-72 score in that contest.

In the extra session, the teams traded layups in the opening minute, but GVSU took a five-point cushion (75-70) on two Ringler free throws and an old-fashioned three-point play from Hogan. Ferris State answered back with six straight points to take a 76-75 lead. A jumper from Kenny Brown with 59 seconds left put the home team ahead.

Hogan was fouled just five seconds later and made both free throws for a 77-76 advantage. Back on the other end, Gay scored on a driving layup to put FSU back up by one point at 78-77 with 46 seconds remaining. GVSU's ensuing possession ended with a corner three-pointer from junior guard James Thomas with 30 seconds to play, putting the lead back in the Lakers' hands at 80-78.

With 16 seconds left, Gay drained a long jumper that the crowd believed was a three-pointer. It was ruled a two-point basket, which tied the score at 80-80. Finally, with time running down on the other end of the court, Hogan ended up with the ball and from 15 feet out and at an odd angle, he banked in the game-winning shot, sending the Laker bench into hysterics and silencing the once-roaring Bulldog crowd.

Hogan finished off easily his best game in a GVSU uniform with a career-high 27 points. He made 9-of-13 field goals and tied a career-high with 4-of-6 three-pointers. The quick point guard made 5-of-6 free throws, dished out three assists, and did not commit a turnover in 36 minutes of play. Thomas was terrific, as well, as the sharpshooter made 7-of-14 shots and 4-of-8 three-pointers for 20 points. He added seven rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals in 42 minutes. The duo combined for all eight of the Lakers' three-point field goals.

GVSU could not have started out any better in the opening minutes of the game. The Lakers rushed out to a 9-0 lead, scoring the first four buckets of the contest. Thomas tipped in a missed Laker layup and then found Hogan with an alley-oop pass on the fast break that Hogan laid in for two more points. Hogan then buried a three-pointer and freshman center Asauhn Tatum scored on a layup to build the nine-point lead.

Ferris State finally got on the board almost three minutes into the game with a long jumper from Matt DeHart, who netted 21 points in the team's first meeting in late January. The Lakers responded with a pair of three-pointers from Hogan and Thomas to take a 15-5 advantage just over five minutes into the game. FSU got back into the game by firing away from three-point range.

The Bulldogs notched the game at 23-23 with five three-pointers, as Ferris State was either scoring at the line or from beyond the arc. Sophomore Tony Peters netted a pair of layups, while Thomas knocked down two jumpers to keep the teams close on the scoreboard. GVSU re-gained an advantage with back-to-back buckets from junior Nick Waddell, as the post player scored on a layup and a nifty baby hook shot, putting the Lakers up by a 29-25 count.

FSU's All-American center Justin Keenan started getting Grand Valley State into foul trouble and made a few free throws in the final minutes of the half. Ringler scored three straight points for GVSU and Peters put the Lakers up 34-32 with a short floater in the lane over Keenan after getting the offensive rebound. A pair of Keenan free throws tied the score at halftime at 34-34.

In the opening 20 minutes, Grand Valley State shot 46.7 percent from the field, while holding FSU to a 41.7 percent clip. The Bulldogs kept the score close with 5-of-11 three-pointers and nine free throws, seven of which came from Keenan. GVSU was able to knot the score at the half with an 18-4 edge in points in the paint and a 12-4 advantage from the bench. Ferris State led 17-16 on the boards in the first half.

To start the second half, the teams traded baskets and the Lakers used a nice inside-outside presence in the early minutes. Hogan and Thomas each knocked down three-pointers in the opening minutes, which were followed by the strong low post play of Waddell. He made a nifty spin move on Keenan and scored a bucket and then converted a driving layup on the next possession. Waddell was fouled on that attempt and made the free throw to put GVSU ahead by a 47-41 score with 14:59 remaining.

Ferris State responded with six straight points, five coming from forward Daniel Sutherlin, to knot the score back up at 47-47. But GVSU answered nicely with a corner three-pointer from Thomas and a pair of free throws from Ringler. Hogan then notched a steal near half-court and although his driving layup attempt was blocked, junior guard Alvin Storrs followed it up with a tip-in bucket. The Lakers got another stop defensively, with Thomas ending up with a steal, passing it ahead to Storrs, who scored on another fast break layup to close out a 9-0 Laker run and put GVSU on top, 56-47. Eight consecutive points from the Bulldogs would pull FSU to within 56-55 at the 6:36 mark and set the stage for an incredible ending.

For the game, Grand Valley State shot 46.7 percent and made 8-of-20 three-pointers, while Ferris State made 46.3 percent of its attempts and 7-of-18 triple tries. At the line, the Bulldogs were 23-of-31, while GVSU was 18-of-24. The Lakers owned a slim 35-34 rebounding edge, a 32-20 advantage in points in the paint, and a 25-18 edge in points off turnovers.

Ringler tallied a team-high eight rebounds and scored seven points in 42 minutes of work. Waddell added nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in just 13 minutes of play off the bench before fouling out. Tatum supplied six points, four rebounds, and four blocked shots, finishing the regular season as the GLIAC leader with 58 blocked shots. Peters added six points and three offensive rebounds in 17 minutes.

For Ferris State, Gay scored a game-high 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He made four triples and all seven free throws, while dishing five assists. Keenan finished the game with 18 points and nine rebounds. He was 4-of-13 from the floor and 10-of-17 at the line, but did not score in the final 10-plus minutes of the game. The Laker defense did not even allow Keenan a field goal attempt in overtime. Sutherlin added 12 points and eight rebounds off the FSU bench.