LAKELAND, Fla. - The Lake Superior State (LSSU) men's basketball team (1-0) came away with an 85-78 victory over the Carson-Newman Eagles (0-1) in an action-packed battle between a pair of programs that entered the season receiving votes in the preseason NABC Coaches Poll for the opening game of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday. 

The Eagles opened up the scoring with a pair of free throws, but Devin Womack (Ypsilanti, Mich.) knocked down a three to put the Lakers in front. Both teams would go back-and-forth early on in the contest, but a Kingsley Perkins (Ypsilanti, Mich.) three-ball would kick off a 10-2 run that heavily featured sophomore Nino Carter-Smith (Warren, Mich.) who scored the other seven Laker points by himself. LSSU would continue to let it fly from distance with Harrison Sorrelle (Grand Haven, Mich.) and Adam Harakow (Edmonton, Alta.) getting in on the action as the Lakers found themselves ahead 30-19. The Eagles were able to grind their way back into the game, but Tyson Edmondson (Ypsilanti, Mich.) steadied the ship with 13 of the Lakers' last 15 points of the half to keep LSSU ahead 49-48 at the break. 

Carson-Newman started the second half strong to retake the lead, but the Lakers responded with a pair of Andy Soma (Traverse City, Mich.) corner threes and a strong defensive effort to hold the eagles to multiple scoreless stretches. Edmondson would then continue to pour it on, eventually finishing with 26 points on the day and extending the LSSU lead to as many as 14 points with 3:35 to play in the game, and the Lakers were able to slow it down to close out the game for a 1-0 start on the season.

Edmondson would lead the way for the Lakers with 26 points and 8 rebounds with Perkins joining him in double-digit scoring with 17 points of his own. Meanwhile, Carter-Smith had a strong all-around performance with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists while playing solid, twitchy defense that resulted in him picking up 3 steals as well. 

The Lakers will now look to carry their momentum into their second game of the weekend when they take on the No. 7 Gannon Golden Knights on Sunday, Nov. 3 with tipoff scheduled for 1:15 p.m.