The last time Grand Valley State and Ashland's men's basketball teams met on the court, the game went four overtimes with AU pulling out an incredible 93-92 victory at the buzzer. Thursday night's meeting between the schools would not go to four overtimes, but it would take an extra five minutes for the Eagles to pull out a 76-72 win over GVSU. 

Both teams entered the game on Thursday night (Dec. 3) with perfect 5-0 records and each team playing its GLIAC opener. Ashland is now 6-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Lakers fall to 5-1 on the year and 0-1 in league action. GVSU will close its season-long seven-game homestand on Saturday (Dec. 5) against Lake Erie. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Five players from each team scored in double figures, with no player scoring more than 16 points. Ashland shot 47.3 percent from the field and made 10-of-25 three-pointers, while GVSU shot 41.0 percent from the floor, but made 20-of-27 free throw tries to stay in the game.

The lead changed hands on Thursday night 14 times and there were 12 tie scores. Needless to say, there were some tense moments down the stretch. 

GVSU led 65-62 with 2:03 remaining after a made free throw from junior Trevin Alexander. Ashland would answer with a three-point play on its next possession, tying the game at 65-65 with 1:47 to play. Neither team would score the remainder of regulation, though both would have their chances.

After forcing a turnover with seven seconds left, the Lakers would have possession and after the ball went out of bounds with less than a second to go, GVSU had one final chance. With 0.7 seconds remaining, junior Luke Ryskamp found senior Ricardo Carbajal with the inbounds pass, but Carbajal's short baseline jumper did not go down, forcing the overtime period.

In the extra session, senior Chaz Rollins and Ashland's Wendell Davis each sank two free throws. GVSU sophomore Myles Miller drained a jumper to put the Lakers up 69-67, but AU responded with a three-point play a minute later. Ashland led 70-69 with 2:49 to play and would hold the advantage the remainder of the overtime.

Neither team scored again until a three-pointer from Boo Osborne with 90 seconds remaining, but the Lakers quickly answered with a three-pointer from senior Aaron Hayes to make the score 73-72 with 1:13 to go. Grand Valley State would not score again and Ashland would make enough free throws - though the Eagles went just 3-for-6 at the line in the last 47 seconds - to take the four-point victory.

Carbajal led the Lakers with team-highs of 15 points and seven rebounds, as he was 7-of-15 from the field. Ryskamp notched 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 42 minutes. Hayes provided 13 points, made 8-of-10 freebies, and grabbed five boards.

Alexander scored 11 points and added four boards, three assists, a block, and a steal, while Rollins totaled 10 points and five rebounds.

The score was tied six times in the first half, including a 27-27 deadlock at halftime. Ashland led by as many as seven points, but GVSU would continue to chip away, taking its first lead of the game with less than a minute to play in the half. Freshman walk-on Alec Marty, playing in his first collegiate game, drained his first-ever field goal attempt - a three-pointer - to give GVSU a 27-24 advantage. Ashland's Davis hit a three-pointer on the other end right before the halftime buzzer to tie the score for the sixth time.

AU went up 38-32 in the second half, but Grand Valley State scored seven straight points - four from Alexander, an old-fashioned three-point play from Ryskamp - to regain a 39-38 lead with 13:17 to play. The teams would trade leads the next few minutes with the largest advantage being GVSU's 62-58 cushion after four straight Alexander free throws. 

From there, Ashland would score seven of the next 10 points, force the overtime session, and hang on to win the GLIAC opener.