Grand Valley State University Athletics

NASHVILLE—The Grand Valley State men's basketball team dropped its season opener 85-82 to Southwest Baptist on Friday evening at the Trojan Fieldhouse.
 
Luke Toliver led the way for the Lakers with 20 points. Toliver went 5-for-7 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 mark on 3-pointers. Toliver added two rebounds and went 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
 
All-in-all, four Lakers scored in double figures. Daniel Kiely put up 13 points, and both Chinedu Kingsley Okanu and Marius Grazulis had 12 points. 
 
Ethan Alderink led the Lakers (0-1) on the glass with seven rebounds. Trevor Smith and Grazulis both added three assists to lead the Lakers in the assist column.
 
The Lakers took a 49-40 lead into the halftime break against the Bearcats (1-0) and got 17 early points from Toliver off the bench.
 
GVSU won the battle on the boards, outrebounding Southwest Baptist 35-28. The Lakers' bench produced 59 points, which was a significant 59-23 advantage for the Lakers. 
 
The Lakers return to action at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday when they take on Trevecca Nazarene to round out the Robert Garrett Crossover Classic.