Omar Suleiman scored 32 points as he continues his fantastic start to the 2025-26 season, but Lake Superior State dropped a 90-84 loss to St. Cloud State Friday night in Duluth, MN.
The redshirt junior hit two three-pointers in the first two minutes of the game, then drew a foul on another minutes later as he came racing out of the gates. He scored 11 points in the game's opening four minutes. Suleiman finished the game 10-of-20, hit five of 11 three-pointers, grabbed four rebounds, blocked a shot and stole a ball in 36 minutes of work. A tremendous talent from Canton, MI, Suleiman has scored 24, 22 and 32 points in his first three games as a starter for head coach
Steve Hettinga.
Just like the Lakers (1-2, 0-0 GLIAC) prior two games, Friday's match with St. Cloud (1-2, 0-0 NSIC) made for thrilling viewing. While the Lakers trailed the entire second half, their full-court trapping system put the Huskies under enormous pressure The Huskies turned the ball over three times in the closing five minutes, and the Lakers cut the gap from 10 points to three as the game drew late.
Robin Benipal impressed in his second straight start for Lake Superior State. The true freshman scored 14 points, hitting six of his 10 shots. He also snatched four rebounds and blocked a shot. The Surrey, British Columbia, Canada native has caught the eye with his consistently high-level play and composure in his first three collegiate games. 12 of his points came in the second half. He had four massive rebounds in the final five minutes, including two putback offensive boards.
Luke Winkel scored 19 points for the Huskies, who shot 55% from the field in the second half. They also scored 30 bench points for the game, led by Bob Griechen's 14.
The Lakers took good care of the basketball, committing just nine turnovers. They also shot 17-of-21 from the free throw line.
Saturday, LSSU faces Minnesota Duluth at 4:30 PM EST/3:30 PM CST. You can watch the game on NSIC Network. LSSU then travels to Mott Community College in Flint for a nonconference showdown with Gannon on Wednesday, before heading home to the Bud Cooper Gymnasium for the first time this season on Saturday. Tip-off for that game is set for 2:00 PM. Get your tickets and arrive early, as the Lakers honor the 2024-25 Elite Eight team with a ring ceremony.
