Northern Michigan: LIVE STATS | VIDEO | AUDIO
Michigan Tech: LIVE STATS | VIDEO | AUDIO

ALLENDALE, Mich. – The Grand Valley State Lakers ride a two-game winning streak into the final stretch of the 2018-19 campaign, with three games remaining in the regular season all at the GVSU Fieldhouse. The crucial run begins with a pair of U.P. schools coming to Allendale in the Northern Michigan WIldcats on Thursday (Feb. 21) at 8:00 PM and Michigan Tech Huskies on Saturday (Feb. 23) at 3:00 PM for the Sawyers Day faux back event.
 
With the Lakers season on the ropes, GVSU responded with two huge road wins at Saginaw Valley and Northwood last week, thrusting them into very solid positioning for the GLIAC tournament. The top eight teams will qualify for the post-season, and the Lakers are currently tied for seventh – two games ahead of the ninth-place spot with three to go. The Lakers held SVSU to just four points over the last 10 minutes to run away with an 81-64 victory before erasing a 10-point halftime deficit for a comeback, 67-63, win over Northwood on Saturday.
 
GVSU head coach Ric Wesley is now sitting at 299 career wins and hopes to become just the second head coach in program history to reach the 300-milestone. The second-winningest coach in GVSU history, only Tom Villemure has more victories (418 in 24 seasons).
 
With the new point system for tiebreakers, the Lakers are currently one point behind Northwood, despite beating the Timberwolves in both meetings this season, so GVSU is sitting in eighth place. The point system would theoretically Michigan Tech or Wayne State if they were to win out, so the Lakers need at least one win and a loss by both schools in the final three to secure a post-season berth.
 
Northern Michigan has already locked up a spot in the GLIAC Tournament, entering the weekend tied for fourth at 10-7 in league play (15-9 overall). They've seemingly hit their stride at the right time, winning four of their five games in February and seven of nine overall. That includes a 70-61 win over the Lakers back on January 19 at the Berry Events Center behind 26 points from Naba Echols, who went 4-5 from three.
 
The Wildcats bring the GLIAC's top two scorers into Allendale on Thursday in Isaiah Johnson (20.8 PPG) and Echols (19.5 PPG). Despite having the two most-productive scorers in the league, the Wildcats average just 73.3 points a game as a team, meaning 55% of the NMU offense has come from two players this season. Myles Howard and Troy Summers will provide a big physical presence down low that gives these Wildcats a well-rounded look on both ends of the floor. Thursday night is Military Appreciation Night at the Fieldhouse, with military veterans receiving free admission and their families getting half-off tickets. Isaiah Brock, the Lakers junior center, is a four-year Army veteran, giving the team a personal connection to the evening. 
 
Michigan Tech is one of the teams on the outside looking in on post-season play, sitting at 6-11 in the league and facing the first-place Davenport Panthers on Thursday night before Saturday's showdown in Allendale. The Lakers saw a big lead evaporate in an overtime loss, 91-87, up in Houghton on January 17. The Huskies have lost four of their last five games to find themselves in desperation mode down the stretch. Dawson Bilski (13.4) and Bryan Heath (12.2) pace the Huskies in scoring this season.
 
The Michigan Tech game will also feature the Grand Valley State Sawyers in the highly-anticipated faux back day. Visit GVSULakers.com for full details on the Sayers Day experience, including the beer garden beginning at 10 AM prior to the doubleheader. Whether they're the Lakers or the Sawyers, a win this week would go a long way towards clinching the playoffs while a sweep would give the Lakers a berth regardless of what happens elsewhere.