at Northern Michigan (Thursday, 8:00 p.m.): Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
at Michigan Tech (Saturday, 2:00 p.m.): Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
The Grand Valley State men's basketball team makes its annual trip north to the Upper Peninsula for a pair of road games against GLIAC North Division opponents. GVSU will take on Northern Michigan on Thursday night (Feb. 4) at 8:00 p.m. before facing Michigan Tech on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 6) in a 2:00 p.m. tipoff.
 
There are links above to follow along to the radio broadcast of both games, as well as links to follow the live stats. The games will be aired on WTKG-AM 1230 and WMUS 107.9 FM, with fifth year play-by-play announcer DJ Foster calling the action.
 
Grand Valley State is 14-7 on the season with an 8-7 record in conference play. Northern Michigan is just 6-13 overall and 4-11 in GLIAC action, while Michigan Tech owns an 8-11 record and is 7-8 in league games.
 
Both contests are rematches of games played in Allendale on Jan. 14-16; GVSU came out victorious in each meeting. Against Northern Michigan on Jan. 14, the Lakers won 83-63, thanks to a strong first half in which Grand Valley State outscored NMU 44-23. Overall, GVSU show 47.5 percent from the field and five Lakers reached double-digits, including four starters. Junior Luke Ryskamp scored a game-high 18 points, while senior Aaron Hayes and junior Trevin Alexander each totaled 16 points.
 
Two days later against Michigan Tech, it was another strong first half that helped Grand Valley State notch its fourth straight win. The Lakers led 29-15 at halftime, holding MTU to 5-for-20 shooting in the opening 20 minutes. Similar to the NMU victory, the Lakers had four starters reach double figures, including Ryskamp's team-high 14 points. Senior Chaz Rollins notched a double-double with a season-high 16 rebounds, while adding 11 points in the win.
 
The Lakers are currently in a tough stretch with four road games in a five-game span, with this weekend's two games concluding the long trip. GVSU had won five of its six previous games and nine of the last 11 before falling to Saginaw Valley State (66-56), Hillsdale (76-63), and #25 Ferris State (74-71) in the last week. Grand Valley State held second-half leads in all three games, with two of those games - SVSU and Ferris State - coming on the road.
 
Against Ferris State on Monday (Feb. 1), there were 12 lead changes and nine tie scores. FSU led 40-34 at halftime, but the Lakers were back on top 67-63 with 4:15 to play. From there, the Bulldogs scored 11 of the game's final 15 points, including three free throws in the final 37 seconds after the score was tied 71-71.
 
Ferris State shot 49.0 percent from the field, while owning edges in free throw attempts (29-19) and makes (15-12) over the Lakers. GVSU shot 42.4 percent from the floor and were led by another Rollins double-double of 22 points (a season-high) and 11 rebounds. Senior Ricardo Carbajal recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds, Hayes added 13 points, and Ryskamp scored 10.
 
The double-double was the seventh of the season for Rollins, while he has missed out on two more double-doubles by only one rebound each time. Five of his double-doubles have come in the 11 games since the calendar turned to 2016. In the seven double-doubles, Rollins is averaging 15.0 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.
 
Both Rollins and Carbajal posted a double-double against Ferris State, which is an impressive feat. The last time a pair of Lakers recorded a double-double in the same game was on Mar. 3, 2007, when Callistus Eziukwu notched 21 points and 10 rebounds and Mike Hall added 14 points and 10 boards in a 71-61 loss at Findlay in the GLIAC Tournament championship.
 
Northern Michigan suffered a five-game losing streak (including the loss to GVSU) in mid-January, but is 2-2 since that span with wins over Hillsdale and at Northwood. On Monday night in Marquette, NMU fell to Michigan Tech 69-56. Overall, the Wildcats are 4-4 at home with wins over Malone, Grace Bible, Ohio Dominican, and Hillsdale.
 
Freshman guard Naba Echols leads the Wildcats with 13.4 points per game, as he's knocked down 29 three-pointers and is shooting 82.2 percent at the free throw line. Sophomore guard Jordan Perez is scoring 11.9 points per game and has a team-high 37 trifectas to go with 4.9 rebounds per game. Another guard, senior Terry Nash adds 9.6 points per game and leads the team with 57 assists and 25 steals.
 
Michigan Tech lost its last four games in December and has been up-and-down since that point. The Huskies won three games in a row to start 2016, then lost their next three contests, including the loss at Grand Valley State. MTU has alternated wins and losses over the last five games, with victories over Hillsdale, at Northwood, and at Northern Michigan. At home, Michigan Tech is also 4-4.
 
A pair of freshmen lead the Huskies in scoring. Forward Kyle Monroe is scoring 17.7 points per game and has good percentages from the field (52.0), three-point range (43.4), and at the line (73.9). He also averages 7.7 rebounds per game. Guard Bryan Heath is adding 13.1 points per game, but shoots just 29.6 percent from the floor, compared to 92.7 percent at the charity stripe. Senior forward Luke Heller averages 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while shooting over 59 percent from the field.
 
The Lakers have their third split week (one home/one road game) of the season next week. GVSU hosts Lake Superior State next Thursday (Feb. 11) at 8:00 p.m. before traveling to Midland to take on Northwood at 6:00 p.m. next Saturday (Feb. 13).