Parkside - Thursday at 8 PM: Live Video | Live Stats | Live Radio (ESPN 96.1 FM)
Purdue Northwest - Saturday at 3 PM: Live Video | Live Stats | Live Radio (1230 AM WTKG)

ALLENDALE, Mich. –  After an impressive non-conference slate, the Grand Valley State Lakers men's basketball team opens Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this week with two home contests at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. GVSU welcomes the Parkside Rangers on Thursday (Dec. 5) at 8:00 PM and the Purdue Northwest Pride on Saturday (Dec. 7) at 3:00 PM. Both games will have live stats, radio and video coverage with links available on GVSULakers.com.
 
The Lakers are off to a 6-1 start on the year, with five of those wins coming against regional Division II opponents. After suffering a setback on the road at Indianapolis, the Lakers have rattled off three straight wins to carry some momentum into GLIAC play. GVSU has been among the best in the nation in taking care of the basketball. As a team they have the third-fewest turnovers per game in the nation (9.6) while they also commit the third-fewest fouls per contest (11.9).
 
Jake Van Tubbergen, a preseason All-GLIAC selection, has earned that distinction early on in his junior campaign. The Holland, Michigan native is second among all GLIAC players in points per game and leads the conference in rebounds per game. He's posted four double-doubles this season, including three straight entering Thursday.
 
"We're off to a pretty good start and a lot of guys are beginning to get comfortable, which takes time with so many new pieces. Jake, in particular, has been fantastic for us all season long and hopefully he can continue to be our leader on the court here as conference play begins," said head coach Ric Wesley.
 
Defensively, Van Tubbergen just set a career-record with six steals in the win over Indiana Tech last Saturday. Christian Negron had six blocks in the contest and now ranks second in the GLIAC – and 15^th in the nation – in total blocks with 15 through his first seven games as a Laker. Jeremiah Ferguson is averaging double figures, shooting nearly 50% from three and done well to facilitate the offense in his senior season.
 
The Parkside Rangers are 4-3 on the year and likely have had this game circled on their calendars since Ferguson's buzzer-beater eliminated them from the GLIAC Tournament, and the automatic NCAA bid, in the semifinals last March. The Lakers are defending tournament champions as this new GLIAC slate gets underway. With great size and skill, Parkside presents a very difficult matchup.
 
Brandon Hau is averaging 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds after an impressive freshman season a year ago. Tray Craft and Ramar Evans have reloaded the Rangers' backcourt after graduating two senior starters from the 2018-19 campaign while Joey St. Pierre, touted as one of the biggest players in the GLIAC, will be an imposing presence in the paint on both ends of the floor.
 
"We had two games come right down to the wire with these guys late last season and we each got one," said Wesley. "I expect another grinding, physical game and this is a good matchup to set the tone for what conference play will be like, especially for some of our new guys."
 
Purdue Northwest has a renewed energy in their third year as a program, jumping out to a 3-3 start with regional wins over Rockhurst and Quincy already this season. They're scoring over 78 points a game, led by Jyrus Freels' 17.2 points and 7.8 boards a game. Chandler Spring is a sharp-shooting three-point specialist off the bench while Xavier Hallinan has earned a reputation as a quick and athletic guard that can force turnovers on the defensive end while also helping to facilitate the offense.
 
"Purdue Northwest has made tremendous strides over the last couple of years and I give them a ton of credit," Wesley said. "They have an energetic, young coach and they won't take plays off. They snuck up on us last year and beat us at our place, so hopefully the guys remember that and give us 40 minutes of good effort if we're going to win this one."
 
With finals on the horizon and students back on campus from the Thanksgiving holiday, the Lakers will look for the sixth man to be a factor as they aim for a strong start to the GLIAC schedule and continue their three-game winning streak towards the tail end of the fall semester.