Feb. 16, 2008

BIG RAPIDS - The Lake Superior State men's basketball team stayed in the thick of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division playoff race by beating Ferris State on the road Saturday, 92-80.

The Lakers (8-15 overall, 6-10 GLIAC) moved into a three-way tie for third place in the GLIAC North Division standings with Northwood and Northern Michigan, and they are only one game behind second-place Michigan Tech. They will seal their own fate when they travel to NMU on Feb. 23 and MTU on Feb. 25. Prior to those games, they play a non-conference home game against Northland Baptist on Feb. 21. Lake State has not advanced to the GLIAC Tournament since 2001.

LSSU never trailed against the Bulldogs (10-17 overall, 5-11 GLIAC). The Lakers were led by Mike Rader and Tim VanOudheusden, who scored 20 points each and picked up the slack for leading scorer Ryan Kuhl, who was in foul trouble. Rader was 6-for-6 from three-point range and 7-for-7 from the field overall. He also had five rebounds and four assists. VanOudheusden added seven rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.

Rader canned three three-pointers, and Micah Hudson came off the bench and added one as LSSU built a 12-point lead, 31-19, with 4:56 remaining in the first half. The Lakers led 37-27 at halftime.

VanOudheusden scored five points, and Rader hit another triple during an 8-0 LSSU run that gave the Lakers a 69-49 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the second half. Lake Superior State's biggest lead was 21 points, 74-53, after a Scott Perkins layup with 7:42 to go.

Ferris State went on a 12-3 run to cut the lead to nine points, 85-76, with 3:23 remaining. VanOudheusden and Perkins were a combined 5-for-6 at the free-throw line, and VanOudheusden scored on a dunk to protect LSSU's lead down the stretch.

Mark Morse added 16 points, Kuhl had 11 and Perkins finished with nine for LSSU. The Lakers shot 54.7 percent from the field, including 12-of-20 from three-point range. They made 22-of-27 free throws. Kuhl fouled out with 3:59 to go.

Lou Williams and DeJuan Wright scored 17 points each to lead Ferris State, which shot 41.1 percent from the field, including 6-of-16 from three-point range. The Bulldogs made 14-of-19 free throws and out-rebounded LSSU, 41-31.