A terrific defensive effort in the opening 20 minutes helped the Grand Valley State men's basketball team record a 64-53 home victory over Michigan Tech on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 16). The Lakers took a 29-15 halftime advantage and led by as many as 18 points in the second half before closing out their fourth straight win.

GVSU improves to 13-3 overall and climbs to 7-3 in GLIAC play with the victory. The Lakers are now 8-3 at home in 2015-16. Michigan Tech drops to 5-9 on the season and 4-6 in conference action. 

Four Lakers finished the game in double figures in the scoring column, led by junior guard Luke Ryskamp's 14 points. His backcourt mates - senior Aaron Hayes and freshman Zach West - each scored 12 points, while senior Chaz Rollins added 11 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. It was the fifth double-double for Rollins in the last 10 games, as he finished just two boards shy of his career-high. 

The Grand Valley State defense was again the key, as the Lakers held Michigan Tech to 36.2 percent shooting for the game and 4-of-22 from three-point range. GVSU was especially difficult to score against in the opening half.

Michigan Tech shot 5-of-20 from the field in the first half and knocked down just 1-of-12 three-point attempts. The Lakers allowed just 15 first half points to MTU, which is the lowest scoring half defensively for Grand Valley State since the 2013-14 season opener. In that game, GVSU held Olivet to just 12 first half points in an eventual 70-48 victory on Nov. 18, 2013.

The Huskies had a pair of one-point leads in the opening minutes, but consecutive layups from Hayes and Rollins put the Lakers on top 9-6; GVSU would not trail again. West buried his first of four trifectas to make the score, 12-6. He added a pair of three-pointers on consecutive possessions at the 9:24 and 8:36 marks, extending the Laker advantage to 19-10.

After MTU scored on a layup, Hayes connected on two free throws and then scored on an old-fashioned three-point play to push GVSU in front, 25-12 at the 3:46 mark. Rollins added a three-point play two minutes later and Grand Valley State was on top 29-15 at the intermission.

West (nine points), Rollins (eight points, eight rebounds) and Hayes (seven points) helped the Laker offense get in front in the opening 20 minutes. GVSU shot 37.5 percent from the field, but added 8-of-12 free throws. No Husky player had more than four points in the first half.

A three-pointer from Ryskamp with 15:25 to play put the Lakers comfortably in front 37-19, but that was when Michigan Tech began to chip away at the deficit. In a little more than four minutes, the deficit was just six points (41-35) at the 11-minute mark. Ryskamp added a layup and then another three-pointer moments later to keep MTU at bay.

Michigan Tech pulled within four points at 48-44, but West drained his fourth triple of the game on a crucial possession with 6:32 to go. Still leading 53-47, junior Trevin Alexander buried a trifecta at the 3:34 mark to keep the Lakers ahead, 56-47. Alexander and senior Darren Kapustka each knocked down a pair of freebies in the final 34 seconds for the final 11-point margin.

In addition to the four starters scoring in double figures, senior Ricardo Carbajal supplied eight rebounds and six boards. Kapustka handed out a team-best four assists, while West finished 4-of-7 from three-point range.

Seven of Rollins' 16 rebounds came on the offensive glass, as the Lakers won the rebounding battle, 37-35. GVSU has outrebounded 15 of its 16 opponents this season. Rollins snared eight rebounds in each half.

The Laker victory was the 250th win at GVSU for 12th-year head coach Ric Wesley, who now owns a 250-95 record at the helm of the program. In GLIAC play over the last dozen years, the Lakers are 160-70 for a .696 winning percentage.

Grand Valley State travels to Sault Ste. Marie next Thursday night (Jan. 21) for a big conference matchup against Lake Superior State. Both teams are 7-3 in GLIAC play and part of a four-way tie (along with Ferris State and Hillsdale) in the North Division behind league leader Saginaw Valley State (8-1, entering Saturday night's game at Northwood).