Laker men fall in season opener

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Lake Superior State men’s basketball team fell to the Wayne State Warriors by a final score of 87-76 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) game on Friday, Jan. 8 in the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 

First Half:

After nearly a year since the two teams have played an official GLIAC contest, the Lakers and Warriors finished the first twenty minutes of play with a score of 38-27, in favor of the visiting team. 

Wayne State scored the game’s first four points to take an early lead over the Lakers. In his first game as a Laker, junior guard David Wren, a transfer from Schoolcraft Community College, scored the first two points of the Lakers 2021 season making a pair of free throws. 

The Warriors would respond with a run of seven straight points to go up on the Lakers (11-2). Kemon Bassett, a junior forward who also transferred from Schoolcraft, scored his first points as a Laker at the 14:12 mark of the half to bring the Lakers within seven points (11-4). 

Wren would sink a three-pointer and drew a foul on the play to record a four point play for the Lakers. The Lakers would cut the Warriors lead to six points by the halfway point of the opening twenty. 

The Warriors would extend the lead to 12 points on a layup by Avery Lewis before the Lakers answered with a three point basket from Nigel Colvin to make it a 26-17 game. Colvin would then add another four straight points for the Lakers on a pair of made free throws and a layup (31-21). 

Colvin would make a three-pointer before the end of the half to make it a six point game but the Warriors would score the final five points of the half to take a 38-27 into the locker room. 

Second Half: 

The Warriors took a 14-point lead within the opening seconds of the second half when Antonio Marshall made a three-point jump shot. The Lakers would then trade points with Wayne State throughout the next few minutes of play to keep the deficit 11 points by the Lakers following the first five minutes of action. 

A layup by C.J. Robinson at 14:43 of the half brought the Lakers back within single digits as the team started their comeback against the Warriors. In his first game back after missing last season with a knee injury, Malek Adams would score on four consecutive free throw attempts (56-46). 

With just about ten minutes remaining in the second half, Colvin made another three pointer to bring the Lakers back within single digits (62-53). 

Colvin, who scored a team-high 24 points in the game, would score seven points for the Lakers within a two minute stretch to lead the team’s comeback effort. Bassett and Wren each added points for the Lakers as the home squad narrowed the score to 72-69 with 4:37 left in the game. 

Wayne State would hold off the Lakers in the closing minutes of the game to secure an 87-76 win in the first game of the two game weekend series. 

Leaders: 

Nigel Colvin, 24 points (8-13 FG, 4-5 3PT, 4-4 FT)

Kemon Bassett, 20 points (7-10 FG, 0-0 3PT, 6-11 FT)

David Wren, 12 points (3-4 FG, 1-1 3PT, 5-5 FT)