at Wayne State (11-7, 8-6 GLIAC)
Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Radio: ESPN 96.1 FM | Listen
Video: XFinity 900 | Watch
Live Stats | Game Notes
 
at Saginaw Valley State (13-8, 6-8 GLIAC)
Saturday, 6:00 p.m.
Radio: WTKG-AM 1230 | Listen
Watch | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
Grand Valley State concludes a tough road stretch this weekend, as the Lakers head back on the road to face a pair of GLIAC North Division opponents on their home floors. On Thursday (Feb. 2) in Detroit, GVSU will take on Wayne State at 7:30 p.m. before matching up with Saginaw Valley State at 6:00 p.m. in University Center on Saturday (Feb. 4).
 
These games will be the fourth and fifth for Grand Valley State in a difficult 10-day span, with all but one of those contests coming on the road for the Lakers. GVSU played consecutive weeks of the normal Thursday-Saturday conference schedule, while also facing rival Ferris State earlier this week on Monday night. Starting next Thursday (Feb. 9), the Lakers will play four consecutive home games in Allendale.
 
Entering this weekend's matchups, Grand Valley State is 13-8 overall and 9-5 in GLIAC play, tied for fourth place in the overall conference standings with Ashland. Wayne State is 11-7 on the year and sits just one game back of the Lakers in league action with an 8-6 mark. Saginaw Valley State is 13-8 overall, but the Cardinals are 6-8 in GLIAC play and in a four-way tie for eighth place in the league standings.
 
GVSU defeated both of this weekend's opponents just two weeks ago inside the Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers used a strong defensive effort to top Wayne State 63-56 on Jan. 19 in Allendale before topping Saginaw Valley State 80-71 two days later behind a career-high 25 points from senior Trevin Alexander and another 17 points from classmate Luke Ryskamp.
 
Both of this week's games can be heard on ESPN 96.1 FM, with sixth-year play-by-play voice DJ Foster calling all of the action. Both Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State offer video of the games. Fans can watch, listen, or follow along to the games through the links at the top of this page.
 
The Lakers closed out an otherwise successful month of January with a tough 98-73 loss to Ferris State on Monday night in Allendale. It was both teams' third game in five days and finished a month where GVSU played five of its eight games on the road. Grand Valley State was a solid 3-2 in those GLIAC road games in the month of January.
 
After splitting at Michigan Tech (72-64 loss) and Northern Michigan (79-56 win) last weekend, the Lakers fell to Ferris State in a rivalry contest. The Bulldogs shot an even 50.0 percent from the field and made 32-of-41 free throws in the game, racing out to a 52-27 halftime advantage. Grand Valley State played FSU evenly in the second half, with both teams scoring 46 points apiece, but it was not enough to overcome the early deficit.
 
Due to a scheduling quirk, the Lakers take on Wayne State and Saginaw Valley State for the second team in a three-week span. In the first meeting with Wayne State - a 63-56 win in Allendale on Jan. 19 - GVSU held the Warriors to just 30.8 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-14 from three-point range. Wayne State did hold a 39-27 rebounding advantage against the Lakers (normally a terrific rebounding team), but Grand Valley State was able to shoot 42.9 percent from the floor and made 22-of-29 freebies in the win.
 
Ryskamp paced GVSU with a game-high 21 points and the senior made 11-of-12 free throws. Junior Myles Miller delivered 13 points and hit 6-of-8 freebies, while classmate Drake Baar posted 12 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Alexander pulled down a game-high nine rebounds in the win.
 
The Lakers were able to come back two days later against a Saginaw Valley State team that was the #1 team in the country in early December and was still a very talented team despite a recent rough stretch. Against the Cardinals, GVSU shot 52.7 percent from the field, 17-of-23 at the line, and dominated the rebounding battle, 42-29. After trailing 32-20 at halftime, the Lakers outscored SVSU 50-39 in the second half to pick up a second straight impressive victory.
 
Alexander played arguably his best game in a Laker uniform, notching a career-best 25 points, as he made his first seven shots and finished 10-of-12 from the field. He added eight boards and a pair of blocks, while scoring 15 first-half points. Ryskamp also reached double-digits with 17 points on an effective 7-of-13 from the floor. Sophomore Zach West added nine points, five boards, three assists, and three steals, while Baar, Juwan Starks, and Chris Dorsey added eight points each off the bench.
 
Ryskamp has reached double-digits in 11 of the last 12 games (with nine points in the other game) and surpassed the 1,200 point mark in Monday's game against Ferris State. The senior guard is now tied for 23rd all-time in Laker history with Pete Trammell (2005-09) with 1,209 points. Ryskamp is just 15 points away from reaching former Laker Courtney James (2002-06) for 20th place all-time at GVSU.
 
At 11-7 overall and 8-6 in GLIAC play, Wayne State has split four games since falling to the Lakers two weekends ago. The Warriors, however, won both of their home games during that stretch and are 7-2 on their home floor. Last week, Wayne State defeated Northwood 89-66 in Detroit and came back two days later to take down Lake Superior State 83-59 last Saturday at home.
 
Most recently, the Warriors fell at Saginaw Valley State in a tight 69-64 final on Monday night. Wayne State is led in scoring by junior guard Ronald Booth and his 15.3 points per game. Booth owns team-highs of 38 three-pointers and 29 steals to go with 36 assists and a 39.9 field goal percentage. Junior forward Chuck Key is averaging 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 70.0 percent at the line. He has 21 blocks on the year.
 
Saginaw Valley State's loss at GVSU was its sixth in a row, but the Cardinals turned around to defeat Lake Superior State 69-65 last Thursday and Wayne State on Monday. In between, SVSU fell by a point at Northwood, 64-63; the Cardinals closed the month of January with a 2-7 record, after starting the season 11-1 and a nine-game win streak to begin the year.
 
Senior guard Garrett Hall averages 17.8 points per game and ups that figure to 19.2 points per game in GLIAC action. He shoots 46.6 percent from the floor, has made 38 three-pointers, and connects on 82.1 percent of his free throw tries. Forward CJ Turnage - the GLIAC Preseason Player of the Year - is averaging 14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, shooting 58.3 percent from the field, but only 54.9 percent at the stripe. Hall had 16 points and seven rebounds in the opening loss to GVSU, but was just 3-of-13 from the field; Turnage posted 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting in the game.
 
Grand Valley State begins a nice four-game homestand next Thursday night (Feb. 9) in Allendale, as the Lakers will welcome Northwood before matching up with Lake Superior State on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 11).