ALLENDALE – The Grand Valley State men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a 72-64 win against Ferris State before a crowd of 1,821 at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena Thursday (Feb. 26) night. The Lakers finish the regular season with a 22-6 overall record and 15-5 GLIAC mark.
 
GVSU was led by senior Trevor Smith Jr. who scored 19 points on 7-17 shooting with two three-pointers. Smith Jr. also dished out three assists, swiped four steals, and grabbed two rebounds. Senior Ethan Alderink scored 12 points and grabbed five rebounds on 5-10 shooting from the field. Senior Jalen Charity put up 10 points and seven rebounds with one steal. Mason Docks and Antaune Allen each scored eight points in the win.
 
The Lakers shot 39% from the field and 34% from three-point range, while Ferris State shot 43% from the field and 28% from three. Ferris State outrebounded GVSU 42-35 but GVSU grabbed 12 offensive rebounds to the Bulldogs 10 and scored 14 second chance points. The Lakers tied a season low four turnovers and forced the Bulldogs to commit 15 turnovers. The game featured 11 lead changes and 13 ties. 
 
In the first half, GVSU would take their first lead of the game at 10-8 just four minutes in off a Trevor Smith Jr. floater in the paint. The two teams would trade baskets over two minutes as the game would be tied at 18-18 with just over 11 minutes to play. Both teams would continue to exchange lead changes and ties as the Lakers would take their largest lead of the half at five on a Jalen Charity and one layup that put the Lakers up 39-34 with 24 seconds left. The Bulldogs would get an alley oop dunk right before the end of the half to send GVSU into the break with a 39-36 lead. 
 
Ferris State would start the second half on a 10-1 run to take their largest lead of the game at 46-40 five minutes in. The Lakers responded with a 9-3 run to tie the game at 49-49 off a steal by Mason Docks and dunk in transition by Cam Regnerus with 13:00 minutes to go. After Ferris State regained the lead, Ethan Alderink hit a layup to give the Lakers their first lead of the half at 51-50. Midway through the second half, Smith Jr. knocked down a floater in the paint to put GVSU up two, but the Bulldogs answered with a 7-0 run to take a 58-53 lead.
 
The Lakers answered with a Smith Jr. three to bring them back to within two, followed by a Charles Turner steal and score to tie the game at 58-58. GVSU would continue to go on a run on back-to-back buckets by Mason Docks and David Wilkerson and a three-pointer by Jalen Charity to give the Lakers a seven-point lead with three minutes remaining. Ferris State didn't go away as they would knock down a three and convert on an and one on the next possession to make it a one-point game with just under two minutes to play. 
 
On the next GVSU possession, Alderink hit a layup to give GVSU a 67-64 lead. Ferris State would turn the ball over and on the next GVSU possession, Docks knocked down a clutch three-pointer from the top of the key to give GVSU a 70-64 lead. Smith Jr. would secure the win with a steal and made layup to put the Lakers up eight.
 
The Lakers have secured a home game in the GLIAC quarterfinals and will await to see who their opponent will be. The quarterfinal game will be on Wednesday, March 4^th at 7:30 PM at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The game will be streamed live on FloCollege and can be listened live on Thunder Country 107.3.