ALLENDALE, Mich. – The No. 24 Grand Valley State Lakers are set to host a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) foes this week at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena; hosting the Ashland Eagles Thursday (Dec. 6) and the Wayne State Warriors on Saturday (Dec. 8). Both games are the back-end of doubleheaders and are scheduled to start at 8:00 PM.
Ranked for the first time this season, the Lakers are off to a hot 6-1 start and are 2-0 in GLIAC play. They pulled out double-digit wins over both Parkside and Purdue Northwest on the road last week in the opening weekend of conference play. All six of the Lakers' wins this season have been by double figures. GVSU is scoring 87.4 points per game while allowing 74.3; a 13-point average differential.
Jake Van Tubbergen has gotten off to a terrific start in his sophomore season. The reigning GLIAC Freshman of the Year is averaging 17.7 points and 7.3 rebounds, team-highs in both, through the first seven games. He's fourth in the GLIAC in scoring average and ranks fifth in field goal percentage (62.9).
Hunter Hale is averaging 16.9 points a game and has knocked down 22 three-pointers, good for second-most in the GLIAC. Transfer
Jeremiah Ferguson has adapted nicely to his new team; averaging 15 points while dishing 27 assists and swiping 12 steals from his point guard spot.
Isaiah Brock, another transfer, has made a huge impact on both the glass and defensive side of the ball. He's a big reason the Lakers lead the GLIAC with 39.9 rebounds per game, are first in offensive rebounds a game (13.1) and second in rebounding margin (+6.7).
With turnover in the league before this season, the Lakers switched from the GLIAC North Division to the South for 2018-19. That makes this week's games against now-division rivals Ashland and Wayne State even more critical in the race for the South Division crown. Both teams have shown their strength already this year, with each beating defending National Champions Ferris State last week.
The 6-0 (2-0 GLIAC) Eagles, led by a pair of transfers from Bowling Green State and some key returners, are physically imposing and talented across their entire starting five. Aaron Thompson is leading the GLIAC with an astounding 10.5 rebounds per game. Drew Noble is fifth in the league in scoring, leading the Eagles with 17.3 points per game. As a team, they rank second in the GLIAC in scoring defense (65.3 PPG) and are the leaders in rebound margin (+8.2). Their size and strength will test the Lakers for a full 40 minutes in what should be a great matchup of the top two teams in the preseason coaches' poll for the GLIAC South.
GVSU leads the all-time series over Ashland, 19-16. The teams split their meetings last season with both home teams earning a win; Van Tubbergen's double-double led the Lakers to a home win last season. The Eagles have won four of the last six meetings, beginning with a 4-overtime thriller, 93-92, back on December 14, 2014, which seems to have swung the momentum. Prior to that, the Lakers had won 13 of the previous 15 contests
Wayne State erased the bad taste of their slow start with a comeback 90-89 over Ferris State for their first win of the year. They enter this weekend 1-5 overall and 1-1 in GLIAC play. They're allowing the second-most points per game (83.7) in the GLIAC and are also near the bottom of the league in rebounding. Despite the poor statistics and record, the Warriors have a history of playing the Lakers tough and the series is jam packed with down-to-the-wire contests. The Lakers lead the all-time series, 48-34, but have lost the last three meetings. Last season, GVSU fell by a combined nine points across the two losses.
Ranked for the first time this season and facing a pair of division rivals, the Lakers are ready for a tough home test. Thursday night will also be the annual Winter Wonderland with Santa Clause coming for free pictures for kids. There will be plenty of snacks and crafts for the youngsters and free admission to the games for kids as well. A packed Fieldhouse would go a long way towards strengthening the home court advantage that could tilt these tough matchups in the Lakers' favor.
