Box Score SAULT STE. MARIE - No. 20 Lake Superior State fended off a late
Ferris State rally to win Saturday's men's basketball game 89-86.
Seniors Derek Billing and Cameron Metz scored 19 points each to
lead LSSU, and Billing became the school's all-time leader in
career three-pointers.
Billing entered the game with 263 career triples and was 3-for-7
from behind the arc against FSU. He surpassed the former record of
264 three-pointers set by Nick Wolfe from 1994-98.
LSSU's senior duo combined for 24 points as LSSU (24-3 overall,
16-3 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) dominated the
first half, 43-29. Junior forward Alex Williams was also in double
figures during the first half with 10 points.
Metz converted a three-point play during LSSU's first possession
of the second half, giving the Lakers a 46-29 lead. Seventeen
points was their biggest lead of the game.
Lake Superior State led by 16 points, 61-45, with 12:18
remaining. Ferris State (7-15 overall, 6-12 GLIAC) cut the lead to
four points, 63-59, with eight minutes to go, but fell behind by 13
inside the five-minute mark. The Bulldogs closed within four again,
85-81, with 30 seconds remaining, then scored on a Josh Fleming
layup after an LSSU turnover to make it 85-83.
The Lakers were uncharacteristically shaky at the free-throw
line (making only 1-of-2 during four of five trips) during the
final minute until junior guard Tony Harris secured the win with
back-to-back free throws with four seconds remaining.
Jake Blake, who had two big second-half put-backs, including one
for a dunk at 13:13 of the second half, finished with 12 points and
a career-high 14 rebounds for LSSU. Williams scored 18 points,
while Harris finished with eight points, seven assists and six
rebounds. Metz also totaled six rebounds.
Williams and Billing were a combined 5-of-10 from three-point
range for the game.
LSSU shot 49.1 percent from the field, including 8-of-20 from
behind the arc, and made 25-of-34 free throws. The Lakers
out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 40-29.
Fleming scored 20 points and Jibreel Jackson 16 to lead Ferris
State. The Bulldogs shot a better percentage from the field (55
percent) than they did from the free-throw line (47.8 percent,
11-of-23). They were 9-of-15 from behind the arc.
LSSU plays host to Northern Michigan at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
LSSU-FSU Boxscore
