BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The No. 17 Grand Valley State Lakers bid for a road upset fell short, 85-73, to the No. 8 Ferris State Bulldogs Thursday night (Jan. 2) at Wink Arena. The Lakers drop to 10-2 on the season, snapping a seven-game win streak, and drop their first conference game of the year to fall to 3-1 in the GLIAC. The Lakers return home Saturday (Jan. 4) to host Lake Superior State at 3 PM.
 
The Lakers got double-digit scoring from four different players; 14 points from Jake Van Tubbergen and Jayden Hodgson, 13 from Isaac Gassman and 11 from Christian Negron. Van Tubbergen and Negron each also contributed nine rebounds.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to gain a lead larger than five points. A slow start on the offensive end saw a 9-6 score at the first media timeout. The offenses would start to find a rhythm down the stretch.
 
Van Tubbergen and Negron picked up a pair of personal fouls each before the final media timeout of the half, forcing the Lakers to the bench for the closing minutes. Marius Grazulis, who had four points and four rebounds on the day, tipped in his own miss in the closing seconds of the half to give the Lakers a 35-34 halftime lead in a harsh road environment.
 
Both teams came out red hot to start the second half. The Bulldogs hit six of their first eight shots while the Lakers went 5-8 to start the half. The Lakers trailed, 53-50, with 12:45 left in regulation when the Bulldogs surged away. They went on a 9-0 run in just 1:40 of game time to open a 12-point lead and – although GVSU played even with them the rest of the way - the Lakers would never get back within eight points.
 
GVSU plays their first home game of 2020 on Saturday as they welcome the Lake Superior State Lakers at 3 PM in the Fieldhouse Arena. It's kids' day with free admission for youngsters and a youth jersey giveaway (while supplies last). The game will also air live on ESPN 96.1 FM and the iHeart app with a live video feed on the Grand Valley Sports Network.