NORTH CANTON, Ohio - Lake Superior State edged Walsh 68-65 Saturday to win a battle between men's basketball teams that are both off to a great starts in 2013-14.

The Lakers (9-1 overall, 3-1 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) are off to their best start since they were 10-1 at the beginning of the 2000-01 season. Walsh dropped to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the GLIAC.

Lake Superior State led 39-38 at halftime, but gave up the first seven points of the second half. Senior guard Derek Billing, who led the Lakers with 23 points, ended LSSU's early second-half drought with a three-pointer. The Lakers finally reclaimed the lead, 51-49, when Tony Harris hit a jumper at 10:42. They led for good after another Harris jumper at 7:09, but the Cavaliers were never far out of reach.

LSSU's Jake Blake made two free throws with 11 seconds remaining to help ice the win.

Cameron Metz and Alex Williams scored 11 points each for LSSU. Blake finished with seven points and a team-leading seven rebounds.

LSSU shot 47.3 percent from the field, including 7-of-21 from three-point range, and made 9-of-19 free throws. The Lakers' three-point and free-throw percentage were both season lows as both teams fell victim to stingy defenses.

Jesse Hardin scored 21 points, and three players added 10 each for Walsh. The Cavaliers shot 40 percent from the field, including 7-of-22 from behind the arc, and made 18-of-21 free throws. They out-rebounded LSSU, 38-27.

LSSU plays at BYU-Hawaii on Thursday.

Walsh-LSSU Boxscore