With a double-digit lead dwindling down the stretch for the second time in as many days, the Grand Valley State men's basketball dug its heels in and refused to break this time around. The Lakers, who led 56-40 with 7:54 left in regulation, converted several clutch free throws in the final three-plus minutes to stave off Quincy's rally and earn a 69-67 road victory.
 
Junior guard Darren Kapustka scored six of his seven points inside the 3:20 mark of the second half. Four of those points came at the free throw line, including a pair of freebies with just 22 ticks left on the clock. Junior guard Aaron Hayes also came up big at the charity stripe, making three of four attempts in the last 90 seconds.
 
For the second consecutive game, senior guard Ryan Sabin led the Lakers with 17 points. The Byron Center, Michigan native made five of his 11 shots, and sank another trio of three-point buckets. Junior forward Ricardo Carbajal was the only other GVSU player in double figures with 11 points. He also nabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 
Five other Lakers—Hayes, Kapustka, Trevin Alexander, Sam McClendon and Chaz Rollins—finished with at least six points.
 
Approaching the halfway point in the opening half, things were knotted up at 12-12. Sabin knocked the first of his three trifectas to spark a quick spurt of six consecutive GVSU points. Quincy would battle back, but never managed to get closer than four points. A three-point play and layup by McClendon near the five-minute mark helped the Lakers push their lead to nine points. They would eventually lead by as many as 13 points before taking a 34-24 advantage into the locker room.
 
The Hawks managed to cut the deficit to eight points early in the second half, only to see Sabin rattle off five straight points during a 7-0 run that inflated the lead to 15 points (44-29).
 
With eight minutes and change left to play, baskets by Hayes and Alexander on back-to-back possessions gave GVSU a 16-point lead, its largest of the afternoon.
 
The rest of the way the Lakers simply did everything they could to fight off Quincy's furious rally. Although GVSU never trailed in the closing minutes, its commanding lead was cut to a single point with 47 seconds left.
 
After burning some clock, Kapustka drove the lane, drawing a foul and getting himself a pair of free throws. The Northview High School alum made both freebies to make it a three-point game.
 
It seemed as though things were locked up once Carbajal grabbed a missed free throw with only eight seconds left, but the drama was not over quite yet. Carbajal was called for traveling, giving the ball right back to the Hawks with plenty of time for a game-tying shot. Fortunately for GVSU, Dalton Hoover's jumper at the buzzer was off the mark.
 
The Lakers are now 1-1 on the year and will begin preparations for their home opener against Cedarville next Saturday (Nov. 22). Tip off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.