Ashland (Thursday, 7:30 p.m.): Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes

Lake Erie (Saturday, 3:00 p.m.): Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes

The Grand Valley State men's basketball team kick off GLIAC competition this weekend (Dec. 4-6) in Ohio against a pair of South Division opponents. GVSU opens the 2014-15 GLIAC schedule against Ashland at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (Dec. 4) before traveling to Painesville to take on Lake Erie at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 6)

During the season's opening month, the Lakers posted a 3-2 record against non-conference opponents. GVSU earned victories over Quincy, Cedarville, and North Alabama, with close losses to Missouri-St. Louis and Kentucky Wesleyan. The Lakers have just one more non-league game (Dec. 20 vs. Purdue-North Central) before playing out the 22-game GLIAC schedule.

Most recently, GVSU defeated North Alabama by a 78-60 score in the consolation game of the Kentucky Wesleyan Holiday Tournament last Saturday (Nov. 29) in Owensboro, Ky. These games against Ashland and Lake Erie will mark the fifth and sixth contests this year that Grand Valley State played away from Allendale; only once (the 71-56 win over Cedarville on Nov. 22) have the Lakers played on their home floor thus far.

A pair of Lakers - senior guard Ryan Sabin (14.8 ppg) and junior forward Ricardo Carbajal (14.6 ppg) - have both scored in double figures in all five games this season. Sabin has hit 14 three-pointers already this season, the second-best mark in the GLIAC, while Carbajal is tied with senior Darren Washington for the team lead in rebounds per game (6.6). 

GVSU's defense has really helped the Lakers get off to the 3-2 start. Grand Valley State is allowing opponents to shoot just 33.6 percent from the field, tied (with Ashland, coincidentally) for the lowest mark in the GLIAC and the third-best mark in all of Division II. Opponents have shot only 26.5 percent from three-point range, the second-best figure in the league, while GVSU's 60.4 points per game allowed is also third-lowest in the conference.

In a pair of close calls last year, Grand Valley State topped Ashland (65-62) and Lake Erie (84-80). The win over Ashland came at Grand Rapids Community College, as the game was moved due to the Midwest Region volleyball tournament being hosted in Allendale. Laker head coach Ric Wesley is 11-2 all-time against Ashland and owns an unblemished 6-0 record versus Lake Erie.

The last time the Lakers visited Ohio, GVSU defeated Ashland (66-57) and Lake Erie (68-48) on their home floors to start the 2012-13 conference season.

Ashland is a perfect 5-0 to kick off the 2014-15 year, which is the best start for the Eagles since the 2002-03 team began the season 8-0. AU is winning their contest by an average of 24.2 points per game, with the closest game coming in an 86-72 victory over Ohio Christian on Nov. 19. The Eagles lead all of Division II in scoring defense, giving up just 53.6 points per game.

Sophomore forward Wendell Davis is averaging 19.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and shooting 64.2 percent from the field. The Eagles have just one other double-digit scorer, which is freshman forward Marsalis Hamilton (10.0 ppg., 58.1 FG%). AU has used the same starting lineup in all five games this season.

Lake Erie is also off to a strong start, posting a 3-1 record in November. The Storm dropped their season opener in double overtime, 96-93, at Texas A&M Kingsville before bouncing back to defeat Henderson State, Ohio Mid-Western, and West Virginia Wesleyan. Only one of those games - the 99-60 win over Ohio Mid-Western - came on Lake Erie's home floor. 

Andy Bosley leads the Storm in scoring (17.8 ppg), assists (14), and field goal percentage (63.4). He also is second on the team in rebounding (4.8) and three-pointers made (9). Jamil Dudley is scoring 15.2 points per game and has knocked down a team-best 11 triples. 

After this weekend, the Lakers return home to take on Tiffin (Sunday, Dec. 14) and Ohio Dominican (Tuesday, Dec. 16) inside the Fieldhouse Arena. GVSU will then close out the 2014 schedule with a non-league game against Purdue-North Central on Dec. 20.