ALLENDALE--The Grand Valley State men's basketball returns home for a weekend homestand, kicking off the two-game home stint at 8 p.m. on Thursday against Wayne State inside of the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The matchup can be seen live online via FloSports with a paid subscription. The game will be aired on radio on The Thunder (107.3 FM) with Bryan Fongers on the call.
The Lakers will be wearing special edition jerseys to pay homage to the West Michigan area. The men's design features the skyline of Grand Rapids on the upper left chest and the text "GRR" on the shorts, which is the airport code for Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
Chick-Fil-A will also be available for purchase at Thursday night's game. Purchases can not be made with cash.
GVSU got back in the win column on Saturday, defeating Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Indiana, 74-62, to win their fifth game in the last six outings.
Austin James led all Lakers with 19 points on a 6-for-12 performance from the field, including a 5-for-9 mark from 3-point range. James added two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Early in the second half, James energized the Lakers with three consecutive 3-pointers.
Isaiah Carver-Bagley knocked down a triple to cap off an 8-0 run to end the game for GVSU. Carver-Bagley nearly notched his second double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and collecting nine rebounds.
The Lakers and Warriors have history that dates back to the 1970-71 season. This will be the 90th all-time meeting between GVSU and Wayne State. The Lakers have taken five of the last seven contests with the Warriors, dating back to 2020.
Wayne State has played two overtime games in a row. The last time GVSU played two games with extra period was in December of 1998.
SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Wayne State rolls into Allendale off a homestand against Northern Michigan and Michigan Tech. The Warriors split those games, but got taken to overtime in both contests. The Warriors have played three common opponents. Both teams have beaten UM-Dearborn and Purdue Northwest and have lost to Parkside.
The Warriors are led by a trio in the scoring column: Carmelo Harris (14.4), Avery Harris (13.8) and Antonio Marshall (13.8). The Warriors also rank 38th nationally in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 30.5 percent from deep.
THE FRONT OF THE FLEET IN THE GLIAC
GVSU is in the top three in 10 statistical categories in the GLIAC this season. The Laker men lead the league in steals per game with 7.6 swipes per game. GVSU also leads the conference in free throw attempts per game (21.4) and free throws made per game (15.6). The Lakers rank second in the GLIAC in 3-point percentage, shooting at a 39.5 percent clip from deep. They trail only Ferris State which leads the country in the category.
INDICATORS OF SUCCESS
Shooting percentages and rebounding have been solid indicators of GVSU's success this season. When the Lakers shoot better from the field, they are 7-1. On the flip side, when the GVSU opponent shoots better from the floor, it is 1-6 on the season. The lone win while being outshot came against McKendree. On the glass, seven of the Lakers' eight wins have seen GVSU outrebound its opponent. All eight of GVSU's wins have seen three or more Lakers score in double figures.
