Midland, Mich. -- The Grand Valley State men's basketball team outscored Northwood 40-37 in the second half, but a sluggish first half put it in too big of a hole, resulting in a 78-80 loss.

The Lakers, who outrebounded Northwood 34-32 overall and 13-9 on the offensive glass, were able to hang around by getting to the free throw line at a high rate. They attempted 32 free throws, netting 24 freebies. GVSU also shot 40.4 percent (21-of-52) from the field, including 46.2 percent (12-of-26) in the second half.

Junior forward Ricardo Carbajal matched his career high with 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The Munster, Indiana product also went 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Additionally, his nine rebounds and four steals were game highs.

The only other Laker in double figures was junior guard Darren Kapustka, who scored 12 points.

Senior guard Ryan Sabin and sophomore guard Luke Ryskamp saw their respective double-digit scoring streaks—both had scored at least 10 points in each of the team's last eight games—come to an end. Sabin finished with nine points, while Ryskamp added just two points.

Right behind Carbajal in the rebounding department was senior center Darren Washington. The Sterling Heights, Michigan product grabbed seven boards. Freshman guard Sam McClendon collected five boards, equaling the career high he set earlier this season against Walsh (Jan. 8).

GVSU hung around early before a shooting funk put it in a 14-point hole by the 14:27 mark. The Lakers trailed just 8-4 nearly three minutes into the game, but the Timberwolves rattled off a 15-5 run to take a 23-9 advantage.

Slowly, the Lakers began to chip away at the deficit. A run near the midway point of the opening stanza cut Northwood's edge to eight points. Five unanswered points in a 45-second stretch pulled GVSU within five points (32-27).

It would not be long before the Timberwolves pushed their advantage back to 14 points, though. Carbajal's late triple sent GVSU to the locker room down 41-30.

A quick 6-0 run made it a two-possession game again, but Northwood had an answer again, eventually stretching its lead back to 16 points (61-45) by the 13:11 mark. GVSU would not get any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Next up, the Lakers will welcome Saginaw Valley State for a GLIAC matchup on Thursday (Jan. 29). Tip off at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.