SAULT STE. MARIE - Lake Superior State kept pace with a strong Lewis men's basketball team until the Flyers pulled away from Saturday's season opener by outscoring the Lakers 7-1 during the final 3:13 of overtime.

Lewis went on to beat LSSU, 77-73, during the first round of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference vs. Great Lakes Valley Conference Challenge.

Tim VanOudheusden totaled 22 points and eight rebounds to lead the Lakers (0-1). Scott Perkins added 19 points and five assists. Ryan Kuhl totaled 11 points and eight rebounds, and Mark Morse had 10 points and five assists.

The Lakers play Wisconsin-Parkside at 3 p.m. Sunday during the second round of the GLIAC vs. GLVC Challenge.

Perkins scored 12 points as the Lakers trailed 36-31 at halftime. Lewis' six-point lead with 17:37 remaining in regulation was the widest margin of the second half. Garrett Konuszewski made a three-pointer with 59 seconds remaining in the second half for a 67-66 LSSU lead, but the Lakers sent Lewis' Brandon Dagans to the line with 32 seconds to go. Dagans made one of two free throws to tie it, 67-67, and send the game into overtime.

Ryan Kuhl scored at 4:04 of overtime, and Morse made one of two free throws at 3:13 to put the Lakers in front, 72-70. The Lakers were 0-for-3 from behind the arc and 1-for-4 at the free-throw line down the stretch. They were 0-for-6 from the field during the final three minutes.

Dagans led Lewis with 18 points. The Flyers shot 46.8 percent from the field and made 13-of-22 free throws for 59.1 percent. They out-rebounded the Lakers, 46-37. Jason Genova and Lonnie Lawrence scored 11 points each for Lewis.

LSSU shot 38.5 percent from the field and made 13-of-22 free throws. The Lakers had 13 turnovers to Lewis' nine.