Houghton, Mich. -- For roughly 30 minutes, the Grand Valley State men's basketball team had no trouble keeping up with Michigan Tech in a shootout. Both teams traded make after make while maintaining efficient field goal percentages. But the Lakers eventually cooled off, while Michigan Tech remained red hot, and fell 77-65 at SDC Gymnasium.
GVSU finished the game 23-of-51 (45.1 percent) from the field and 14-of-20 (70 percent) from the free throw line. However, its defense could not come up with enough stops. Michigan Tech's 77 points came on 21-of-38 shooting (55.3 percent), including a 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) performance in the second half. The Huskies also sank 30 of their 33 attempts at the charity stripe.
Following a game in which he played all 40 minutes, senior guard
Ryan Sabin scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He collected four rebounds as well.
Junior forward
Ricardo Carbajal and freshman guard
Myles Miller were just as accurate. The two tallied eight points apiece and combined to make seven of their 10 field goal attempts.
Sophomore guard
Luke Ryskamp turned in a team-high 15 points. Five rebounds, two assists and one steal rounded out his stat line. Junior guard
Darren Kapustka was the only other Laker in double figures. The Grand Rapids, Michigan product tallied 12 points.
Three ties and one lead change highlighted the opening five-plus minutes of action. Then the Lakers took control. Two freebies by Ryskamp kicked off an 8-0 run capped by a Sabin triple. Michigan Tech cut the deficit to one point in the closing two minutes of the half, but it didn't seize the lead until the 16:35 mark of the second frame.
Another trifecta by Sabin briefly put GVSU back on top. Two more ties and one last lead change signaled the end for the Lakers.
The Huskies quickly built a five-point advantage. Ben Stelzer, the GLIAC's leading scorer, took care of the rest almost entirely on his own. In the final 8:21 of regulation, Stelzer scored 15 of his game-high 23 points. The Lakers were unable to keep pace.
GVSU, which fell to 9-7 overall and 5-5 in GLIAC play, will look to bounce back at home against Lake Superior State. Tip off at the Fieldhouse Arena, where the Lakers are 5-1 this season, is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on Thursday (Jan. 22).
