Box Score MIDLAND, Mich. – The Grand Valley State Lakers closed the regular season with a 67-51 win over the Northwood Timberwolves Saturday (Feb. 27) to sweep the weekend and finish the season 11-6.
 
The Lakers finish one game back in the GLIAC standings and less than a tenth of a point in the rating system behind Wayne State for a regular-season conference championship. They had a two-game weekend series with Wayne State postponed at the end of January, then the Warriors were only willing to play one makeup game despite another open date later in the season, citing short rest, and barring the Lakers chance to control their own destiny.

 Christian Negron led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds with two blocks while Jake Van Tubbergen added a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Isaac Gassman poured in 14 points with five rebounds.
 
The Lakers used a 9-0 run with around six minutes left in the first half to turn a five-point deficit into a 25-21 lead. They would carry a two-point advantage, 31-29, into half and outscore the Timberwolves by 14 points in the second period to run away with their sixth win in seven games (since their three-point loss to Wayne State).
 
Wayne State scored on a final-second shot to beat Ferris State, 70-68, Saturday. Had the Bulldogs pulled out the win, the Lakers would have won the league in the rating system's points-per-game, which would have made them co-champions with the team with the highest winning percentage, by league rule due to the unbalanced schedule in 2021.
 
The Lakers will be the two-seed in the GLIAC Tournament with the quarterfinals beginning next Thursday on one of the campuses of Purdue Northwest. Follow gvsulakers.com or @GVSUBasketball on social media for updates on opponents, game times and locations as they become available.