UNIVERSITY CENTER - A 13-0 run late in the first half spurred the 25th-ranked Lake Superior State men's basketball team to a 63-52 win Thursday at Saginaw Valley State.

LSSU (21-3 overall, 13-3 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) takes a two-game GLIAC North Division lead into Saturday's game at second-place Northwood, which suffered a 17-point loss to Wayne State Thursday.

Alex Williams was 3-for-4 from three-point range and scored 18 points to lead Lake Superior State. Cameron Metz followed with 14 points, and Derek Billing added 12. Jake Blake turned in nine points, and season-highs of 13 rebounds and five assists.

Saginaw Valley State led 19-13 at 11:10 of the first half, but Lake Superior State turned the tables as Tony Harris ignited the run with a steal that led to a Blake dunk. Blake also canned a three-pointer after grabbing a defensive rebound. Metz added two baskets to put the Lakers on top, 26-19. They went on to lead at halftime, 30-27.

LSSU also enjoyed a 12-0 run early in the second half and built a double-digit lead that held throughout most of the final 15 minutes of the game. Metz led it off with two baskets, and Blake dunked again at 16:04. Billing and Williams added back-to-back three-pointers at 15:12 and 14:22 for a 42-29 Laker lead.

LSSU shot 44 percent from the field, including 6-of-15 from three-point range, and made 13-of-19 free throws. The Lakers out-rebounded SVSU, 37-31, and forced 18 Cardinal turnovers.

Garrett Hall scored 16 points and Calvin Turnage added 11 for Saginaw Valley State (7-12 overall, 3-12 GLIAC). SVSU shot 40 percent from the field, including 6-of-21 from behind the arc, and made 6-of-13 free throws.

SVSU ranks 16th in the GLIAC in free-throw percentage, while LSSU ranks fourth. The Lakers also lead the league in average free throws made per game.

SVSU-LSSU Boxscore