HOUGHTON, Mich. -- The Grand Valley State Lakers saw the potential game-tying shot fall short as time expired in a tough 77-75 loss to the Michigan Tech Huskies in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action Thursday night at SDC Gym. Hunter Hale posted his first double-double of his GVSU career, setting season highs in points (24) and rebounds (10) to lead the Lakers in both stats. The Lakers fall to 11-10 on the season and 6-7 in the GLIAC while Michigan Tech improved to 11-9 on the year and 8-5 in the league. 

Trailing by nine points with two minutes to play, Hale drove the lane for a layup and drew a foul to secure a three-point play. A pair of Huskies free throws put Michigan Tech back up eight with a minute to go. Hale again rose to the occasion, draining a three-pointer to draw the Lakers within five. Chris Dorsey then made a steal on the ensuing possession and lofted the ball ahead to Myles Miller for a layup, plus a foul, to get the Lakers within two. After a missed shot from Michigan Tech, the Lakers got a look for a layup with time expiring, but the shot rimmed out and the comeback fell just short.  

The Lakers shot .460 from the field, including 7-14 from three and 10-14 from the free throw line. Michigan Tech shot at a .491 clip and went 12-26 from three and 13-19 from the stripe. GVSU dominated the glass, outrebounding Michigan Tech 43-24. The Lakers turned the ball over 11 times while the Huskies coughed up the ball seven times.  Four Lakers scored in double figures in the game. Hale led all scorers with 24 points while Jake Van Tubbergen added 14, Chris Dorsey scored 13 points for his second straight game in double figures and Myles Miller contributed ten while dishing out a team-high five assists. Bryan Heath scored 23 points and Kyle Monroe added 22 points to lead Michigan Tech.

The Lakers look to bounce back Saturday when they take on Northern Michigan at 1:00 PM in Marquette, Michigan. Live stats are available on gvsulakers.com and the game can be heard live on ESPN 96.1 FM in Grand Rapids and anywhere on the iHeart app. The Lakers return home on Thursday, February 8, for the final installment of the Downtown Thursday series at 6:00 PM against the Wayne State Warriors.