CALEDONIA, Mich. – Another early deficit, another strong second half, another near comeback, but the Grand Valley State Lakers fall, 66-55, to the Davenport Panthers at the Davenport Student Center Saturday afternoon. The meeting was the first-ever conference bout between the cross-town rivals and the first time the Lakers have fallen to Davenport in program history. The Lakers are 3-5 on the year and 0-2 in the conference while Davenport improved to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in the GLIAC.
 
GVSU shot 40.4% from the field while Davenport went 33.9% from the floor, but the discrepancy came in free throws, with the Lakers going 6-for-8 at the line compared to a 24-28 mark for the Panthers, a few of which came with the Lakers attempt to extend the game late. The Lakers were outrebounded 40-34, with included 13 offensive rebounds by the Panthers, leading to 17 second-chance points.
 
Jake Van Tubbergen helped spark the comeback attempt with a team-high 14 points off the bench, a season high for the freshman, along with five rebounds. Myles Miller scored 13 points, the second consecutive game the senior has set a new season high in scoring. Hunter Hale hit a big three with just over four minutes left in the game to get the Lakers, who never led in the game, back within four points. Hale had 13 points for GVSU, the seventh time in eight games the transfer has scored in double figures.
 
The Lakers got off to another slow start Saturday, going scoreless through the first five minutes before Drake Baar came off the bench out of a timeout with a midrange jumper to get the Lakers on the board and snap an 8-0 run for the Panthers to start the game. The Lakers went 7-of-25 from the field, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc, in the first period, though, and the deficit swelled to 32-15 at the break. The Lakers would chip away in the second half, but the slow start proved too much to overcome.
 
The Lakers will get their first home GLIAC game on Thursday, when they host the Michigan Tech Huskies in the first Downtown Thursday of the season. The Lakers will host Michigan Tech at the DeltaPlex in downtown Grand Rapids at 6:00 PM as the front end of a doubleheader. Visit GVSULakers.com for more details and ticket information on the brand new Downtown Thursday series.