at Lake Erie (2-12, 1-5 GLIAC)
Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
Radio: ESPN 96.1 FM
Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
Grand Valley State will start off a busy month on the road, as the Lakers travel to Painesville, Ohio on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 7) for a 3:00 p.m. contest against Lake Erie. The game starts a season-long three-game road trip for the Lakers, with GVSU playing five of its eight January games away from home.
 
It is the first game for Grand Valley State in more than two and a half weeks, as the Lakers have not hit the floor in a game setting since an 87-75 home victory against Ashland on Dec. 19 in the Fieldhouse Arena. GVSU enters the new year with an 8-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in GLIAC play, while Lake Erie heads into Saturday's contest with a 2-12 tally and a 1-5 conference record.
 
Saturday's game will be aired on ESPN 96.1 FM. Sixth-year play-by-play voice DJ Foster will call the action this weekend for the Lakers, as fans can listen or follow along to the game through the links at the top of this page.
 
GVSU can hopefully start 2017 the same way it ended the 2016 calendar year, as the Lakers won three of their final four games before entering the holiday break. That included a 26-point win at Hillsdale, a 21-point victory at Walsh, and a 12-point home win over Ashland. While four of the team's six December games were played in Allendale - and just one outside of Michigan - the Lakers will head on the road five times in January, including a pair of trips to the Upper Peninsula.
 
The team's first road game of the month is against a Storm team that Grand Valley State leads 6-2 in the all-time series, though Lake Erie has won the last two meetings between the schools. After winning six consecutive games over LEC, the Lakers fell 73-60 in Painesville on Dec. 6, 2014 and dropped an 84-78 decision in Allendale on Dec. 5, 2015. GVSU is 3-1 all-time against the Storm in Ohio.
 
Grand Valley State's three seniors were extremely productive during the team's split homestand against Tiffin and Ashland on Dec. 17-19. With a pair of 20-point games, guard Juwan Starks averaged 24.5 points per game and posted terrific shooting numbers: 16-of-26 from the field, 9-of-15 from three-point range, and 8-of-9 at the free throw line. Fellow backcourt mate Luke Ryskamp put up 17.0 points per game and forward Trevin Alexander made 14-of-21 shots and averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest. All three players scored in double-digits in both games against Tiffin and the Eagles.
 
In the victory over Ashland, the seniors took turns as to which player dominated in the two halves. The Lakers took a 45-43 halftime lead thanks to Alexander's 16 points (on perfect 7-of-7 shooting, 2-of-2 three-point tries), eight rebounds, and three assists, while Starks went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc for 15 first-half points. Ryskamp poured in 13 points in the second half, when the Lakers used a late 11-1 run to pull away from a 72-72 tie with 5:13 remaining.
 
In all, Starks delivered a career-best 26 points, made 9-of-12 field goals, and buried 6-of-7 three-point attempts. He also blocked a career-best three shots. Ryskamp notched 20 points and made all six free throw tries, while Alexander finished with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double and handed out a team-high four assists.
 
Grand Valley State shot 53.6 percent from the field in that 87-75 win over Ashland, including a 12-for-19 clip from three-point range. The victory pushed GVSU to 4-2 in conference play and a tie with Ferris State and Findlay for fourth place in the league standings. Entering Thursday night's set of games, Wayne State sits atop the GLIAC with a 5-0 record, while Saginaw Valley State and Lake Superior State are a game behind at 4-1 in conference action.
 
Although Lake Erie is just 2-12 overall, the Storm won their most recent game with a solid 88-86 road win at Cedarville on Dec. 30. Being on the road has been a common theme for LEC so far this season; 10 of the team's 14 games are either true road games or neutral site contests. In addition to the two-point victory over Cedarville, Lake Erie's other win is a good 77-73 defeat of Michigan Tech in Painesville on Dec. 8.
 
Overall, LEC is 1-3 at home, having also lost to Edinboro (87-75 on Nov. 16), Notre Dame Ohio (84-73 on Nov. 28), and Northern Michigan (82-67 on Dec. 10). Prior to Saturday's game against GVSU, Lake Erie will face Ferris State at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night (Jan. 5). Despite having a dozen losses, seven of LEC's defeats have come by less than 12 points.
 
Senior guard Sean Howard paces the Storm with a team-best 14.9 points per game and has made 30 three-pointers, while shooting 74.2 percent on 62 free throw attempts. Freshman backcourt mate Gabe Kynard is putting up 11.1 points per game and shooting nearly 46 percent from the field and 78 percent at the charity stripe. Senior Nick Wells is averaging 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, as the forward is notching a 50.5 field goal percentage.
 
Grand Valley State will remain on the road next week. The Lakers travel to Northwood on Thursday (Jan. 12) for an 8:00 p.m. start, followed by a trip up north to take on Lake Superior State next Saturday afternoon (Jan. 14).