SAULT STE. MARIE - The current players on the Lake Superior State men's basketball team can scratch one item off their list of goals after beating Grand Valley State 79-66 on Saturday at Bud Cooper Gymnasium. 

The Lakers (8-5 overall, 5-3 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) rebounded from Thursday's 23-point home loss to Ferris State with a convincing victory over GVSU (9-3 overall, 4-3 GLIAC). They beat Grand Valley for the first time since Jan. 23, 2002.

Sophomore guard Micah Hudson scored 14 points, and junior guard Garrett Konuszewski had eight points and five assists as LSSU took off to a 42-22 lead in the first half.

The Lakers maintained a 15 to 19-point lead throughout the first 10 minutes of the second half. They also led 64-45 with 7:21 remaining. Grand Valley went on a 9-0 run during the next two minutes, but LSSU's Mark Morse grabbed a defensive rebound and drew a foul at 4:56 to stop the bleeding. He made two free throws to protect LSSU's double-digit command.

After GVSU cut the lead the nine, 73-64, with 1:42 to go, LSSU's Scott Perkins and Konuszewski combined to make 6-of-6 free throws down the stretch.

Konuszewski scored a season-high 16 points, and had six assists and three steals to lead Lake Superior State. Perkins, Hudson and Tim VanOudheusden scored 14 points each, and Ryan Kuhl added nine. Perkins also totaled six rebounds and four assists.

LSSU shot 45 percent from the field, including 11-of-23 from three-point range and 22-of-24 at the line. Perkins was 8-for-8 at the free-throw line, and Hudson made 4-of-6 three-point attempts.

K'Len Morris scored 18 points and Toreau Brown added 16 to lead GVSU, which shot 41.5 percent from the field and made 17-of-22 free throws. The Lakers were 5-for-13 from behind the arc. Grand Valley State shot 51.7 percent in the second half after making only 7-of-24 shots in the first.

LSSU out-rebounded GVSU, 33-29, and committed only 10 turnovers.

The Lakers, who share the GLIAC North Division's best record with Michigan Tech, play host to Northwood at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

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