EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Lake Superior State (LSSU) Lakers (30-6) are set to face off against the Dallas Baptist (DBU) Patriots (33-4) in the Elite Eight on Tuesday.
Both teams enter the game after coming off of a regional championship a week prior. The Lakers bested Lincoln (Mo.) and Michigan Tech before taking down the University of Missouri-St. Louis to stand alone at the top of the Midwest Region. Meanwhile, DBU, the champions of the South Central Region, have been dominant in the tournament thus far, defeating Regis (Colo.), Midwestern State, and Colorado School of Mines by an average margin of just over 22 points.
Tyson Edmondson (Ypsilanti, Mich.), who was named the 2025 Midwest Regional’s Most Outstanding Player after averaging 25 points per game in the tournament, leads the Lakers in scoring with 16.9 points per game. Meanwhile, the Lakers will also rely on the defensive prowess of not one, but two GLIAC Defensive Players of the Year in Kingsley Perkins (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and Hunter Soper (Lexington, Mich.) to go along with Andy Soma (Traverse City, Mich.) who will typically matchup against his opponent’s top guard.
“They are a special group,” said LSSU Head Coach Steve Hettinga. “For us, trying to get a team like this, it takes some time, maturing together and going through the growing pains along the way.”
Meanwhile, the Patriots are led by Ricky Lujan who is averaging 17.6 points per game, followed by Cameron Kahn and Trevor Frank with 14.1 and 10.2 points, respectively.
This will also mark a battle between two very contracting defensive styles. DBU will look to force the Lakers into several turnovers, resulting in fast break points in transition. The Patriots lead the nation in steals per game (12.8) and turnovers forced (22.28), but they also have a tendency to get themselves into foul trouble, ranking 276th out of 290 programs in fouls per game with 20. On the other hand, the Lakers play a hard-nosed brand of defense that relies more on strong contests and forcing opponents into bad shots, resulting in them having a top-25 scoring defense in the nation.
This contrast of styles will also be put to the test as LSSU has been excellent this season at taking care of the basketball, ranking 13th in the country in turnovers per game with an average of only 9.8.
Offensively, the Patriots will rely heavily on creating easier opportunities in transition with a faster pace. Meanwhile, LSSU loves to share the basketball and is always hunting for the best shot available. The Lakers are also not afraid to let it fly from beyond the arc, ranking 11th in the country in three-pointers per contest.
For LSSU, consistency will be key as they prepare to play their game and look to avoid the temptation to play a style preferred by the Patriots.
“Our patterns have been the same in how we prepare,” said Hettinga. “Obviously it’s a much bigger stage. They know it’s different, but as far as their bodies are concerned both mentally and physically, we are trying to remain very consistent.”
The game is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN+ or listen live on Newstalk 1400 with Matt Pocket on the call.
Tickets can be purchased from the NCAA here.
Feel free to provide your teams sports scores and roundup to sports@eupnews.com when your game is completed.
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