A suffocating defensive effort and a big double-double from senior Chaz Rollins lifted Grand Valley State to a strong 64-50 road victory at Walsh on Thursday night (Jan. 7). The Lakers held Walsh to just 34.1 percent shooting and forced 15 turnovers, while Rollins posted 19 points and 14 rebounds to keep GVSU unbeaten on the road this season.

Grand Valley State improves to 4-0 on the road this year - with all four wins coming in Ohio - and are now 10-3 overall. In GLIAC play, the Lakers improve to 4-3. Walsh slips under .500 with a 5-6 overall record and a 3-4 mark in conference action.

The Cavaliers had scored 90 and 89 points in their last two games, while Walsh was averaging 79.2 points per game entering the contest. GVSU, however, limited the home team to 15-of-44 shooting from the field, including a 5-for-21 mark from three-point range. Walsh scored just 25 points in each half; the 50 points was its second-lowest point total of the season.

Thursday's win was also the second terrific effort from Rollins in Walsh's Alumni Arena during his career. Two seasons ago - on Jan. 9, 2014 to be exact - Rollins posted career-highs of 26 points and 18 rebounds against the Cavaliers. On Thursday night, he shot 8-of-11 from the field, made all three free throws, and collected 12 of his game-best and season-high 14 boards on the defensive glass.

Rollins' 14 caroms helped GVSU again win the rebounding battle, this time by a 38-32 margin. 11 of those boards come on the offensive glass, as Grand Valley State recorded 20 more field goal attempts (64-44) than the Cavaliers. GVSU has outrebounded 12 of 13 opponents this season. The Lakers dominated in the paint to the tune of a 40-14 advantage.

It was no surprise that Rollins scored on GVSU's first possession, scoring on a layup shortly before a jumper from junior Luke Ryskamp. The Lakers extended that lead to 9-2 on five straight points from senior Aaron Hayes, who hit a short floater and drained a three-pointer in a 64-second span. Grand Valley State led 13-10 before Ricardo Carbajal and Alec Marty both scored on jumpers and Rollins added four points on a layup and two free throws to push out to a 22-12 advantage.

Walsh stayed close and cut the score to 31-25 at halftime, as neither team scored in the final 1:48 of the opening half. The Cavaliers actually outshot GVSU (38.9 to 36.4), but the Lakers forced Walsh into 12 first half turnovers. In the opening 20 minutes, Grand Valley State held edges in points in the paint (16-4) and off turnovers (11-7).

GVSU was on top 35-30 with 15:54 to play and used a 10-2 run to open up a 45-32 cushion. Rollins scored on a layup and then converted an old-fashioned three-point play and after a Walsh bucket, the Lakers used a Darren Kapustka three-pointer and a Trevin Alexander layup to get out to a 13-point lead.

From there, Walsh would not get closer than eight points. Rollins added two layups in 24 seconds to make the score 51-39, Ryskamp tipped in a missed shot, and Carbajal followed another Rollins layup with one of his own. When Hayes' three-pointer swished through the net with 39 seconds to go, the Lakers had locked up their fourth consecutive road win to start the year.

Hayes finished with 10 points, hit a pair of triples, and did not commit a turnover in 25 minutes. Carbajal added eight points and three assists, while Kapustka handed out six assists and committed just one turnover. Ryskamp supplied seven points and while Zach West scored just five points, he was a key factor to two-time First Team All-GLIAC guard Jesse Hardin Jr. scoring just 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, six points below his season average.

It was the fourth time this season that GVSU has not trailed at any point in the game, also accomplishing that feat last Saturday against Wayne State.

The Lakers will stay in Canton, Ohio and take on Malone (3-9, 0-7 GLIAC) at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 9) in MU's Osborne Hall.