BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Valley State men's basketball team erased a 19-point second half deficit to defeat rival Ferris State 84-80 in Overtime Monday (Jan. 19) night. The Lakers improve to 13-3 on the season and 6-2 in the GLIAC. 
 
Jalen Charity led the Lakers with a career high 27 points and seven rebounds. Trevor Smith Jr. scored a career high 19 points on 7-13 shooting from the field and five assists. Mason Docks notched 15 points, four assists, and three steals on 4-8 shooting with two three-pointers. David Wilkerson added nine points, six rebounds, four assists, and a career high four steals. Shamus Thompson led GVSU with eight rebounds. 
 
GVSU shot 32% from the field, 43% in the second half and 50% in overtime. The Lakers dished out 15 assists and forced Ferris State to commit 21 turnovers with 12 steals. Ferris State outrebounded the Lakers 54-44and 17-16 in offensive rebounds. Ferris State shot 40% from the field and 28% from three-point range. 
 
Ferris State jumped out to a quick 14-3 lead six minutes into the game. GVSU would go on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to one at 16-15 with under nine minutes to go in the opening half. The Bulldogs would end the first half on a 19-7 run in the final seven minutes to take a 13-point lead into the break. 
 
In the second half, Ferris State increased their lead to 19 points with 12:30 minutes to play. GVSU would cut the deficit to 12 points at 58-46 off an and one layup by Trevor Smith Jr. and 11 points on the made free throw. The Lakers would get it to single digits on a layup by Jalen Charity and would get a steal and layup by Smith Jr. on the next possession to make it a seven-point game with 6:30 to go. With GVSU down nine, Mason Docks knocked down a three and swiped a steal on the next Bulldog possession and went the length of the floor to score and layup and draw a foul to bring GVSU down to just one possession at 62-59 with 5:30 to play. 
 
After Ferris State scored a layup to up five, GVSU got a layup by Docks to get within two and tied the game at 64-64 on a fastbreak dunk by Charity. GVSU would take their first lead of the game with 3:36 left in the game on a layup by Smith Jr. The bulldogs answered on the next possession to tie the game at 66-66 with 3:17 remaining. After GVSU hit three free throw to take a 69-66 lead with 1:36 to play, Ferris State hit a pair of free throws to make it a 69-68 GVSU lead with 1:16. Ethan Alderink put GVSU up two with six seconds left, but Ferris State would score a layup to tie the game at 70-70 to send the game into overtime. 
 
In overtime, Charity opened the scoring on the first possession, but Ferris State would answer with a dunk to tie the game at 72-72. Smith Jr. would give the Lakers the lead again with 3:25 to play on a driving layup. Ferris State would split a pair of free throws to make it a one-point GVSU advantage. On the next Laker possession, Smith Jr. knocked down a big three-pointer from the top of the key with 2:12 to play. The bulldogs cut the lead in half, but Charity would hit a dagger three-pointer to give GVSU an 80-75 lead with 33 seconds left. Docks would knock down free throws to secure the comeback win.
 
The Lakers will be back on the road this upcoming week. GVSU will travel to face Parkside on Thursday, January 22^nd at 8:30 PM ET and Roosevelt on Saturday, January 24^th at 4:00 PM ET. Both games will be streamed live on FloCollege and can be listened live on Thunder Country 107.3.