DETROIT – The No. 18 Grand Valley State Lakers took sole possession of first place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) with a 71-64 win over the Wayne State Warriors Saturday (Jan. 11) night at the Matthaei Center. GVSU improves to 13-2 on the season and 6-1 in conference play. Jake Van Tubbergen scored his 1,000^th career point during a 23-point performance to lead the Lakers to victory.

This was the Lakers' first win at the Matthaei Center since February 2015. Three Lakers scored in double figures; Van Tubbergen (23) joined by Christian Negron (13) and Jeremiah Ferguson (11). Negron also recorded seven blocks, matching a career high, in the win. Van Tubbergen also nabbed 13 rebounds to secure his eighth double-double of the season.

The Lakers jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead out of the gate, but the Warriors responded to take a 9-8 lead moments later. The score would stay close for a majority of the first half, with the Lakers pulling away for a 30-24 lead at the break. The Lakers would never trail in the second half, holding the Warriors off despite a couple of close calls.
 
The Lakers are back in action on Thursday (Jan. 16) when they host the Northwood Timberwolves at 8:00 PM. The game will air on ESPN 96.1 FM and ESPN3.