Lake Superior State hosts Northern Michigan in a GLIAC doubleheader tonight at the Bud Cooper Gymnasium as U.P. rivals throw down in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

Click HERE for full game notes.

Lake State's Women's Basketball team (4-10, 1-5 GLIAC) faces #13 Northern Michigan (13-3, 4-2 GLIAC) at 5:30 PM. Men's Basketball team (8-7, 2-4 GLIAC) hosts #20 NMU (14-2, 5-1 GLIAC) at 7:30 PM.

Previewing the women's game, the Lakers split last weekend with a 90-60 loss at Wisconsin Parkside, before a 57-52 win at Roosevelt. Chloe Watson earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week Honorable mention honors after scoring 14 off the bench against the Rangers and a game-high 17 against Roosevelt. Grace Bradford scored 16 at Roosevelt with 12 rebounds.

Bradford ranks 11th nationally in rebounds per game entering the week and ninth in defensive rebounds per game. Head Coach Grace Howrigon emphatically said earlier this season, "We rebound."

No kidding. The Lakers are third in the GLIAC, 79th nationally in rebounding margin (+3.6 per game), second in the league and 65th nationally in defensive boards per game (27.4) and 75th in total rebounds per game (39.9). You miss shots, and the Lakers gobble up the misses.

Speaking of rebounding, Grace Bradford continues her march toward history. At 954 coming into today's game, GB is 46 shy of Marti Wallace ('83), a 1997 Hall of Fame inductee who holds the school record for career rebounds at an even 1,000. Bradford nabbed a career-high 22 rebounds against Walsh and another 18 against Davenport on 12/8. It's incredible that her 18 against DU wasn't even her career high... against that team. She'd ripped down 21 against the Panthers back on 2/22/24.

Clare Conzelmann shoots the three-ball a lot. She's second in the GLIAC in three point attempts, eighth in threes made and eighth in threes made per game. She's 35th nationally in threes attempted. Seyyane Matthew provides excellent rim protection - her 13 blocks are third best in the league.

Scouting NMU, the WIldcats come off of a 70-52 loss at Ferris State. While Jacy Weisbrod scored 16 on 5-of-14 shooting and Sydney Whitehouse scored 10 on 4-of-6 shooting from the bench, it was a dreary shooting day for the Cats. They shot 28% from the floor, 32% from deep. They only shot 11.8% from the field in the first quarter (3-for-17) and 21% in the second quarter (3-for-14). While they held Ferris to 4-of-17 shooting in the first, the Bulldogs went off in the second, shooting 10-of-16 and outscoring the Wildcats 27-9.

Before that, NMU faced Michigan Tech and blew out the Huskies in Houghton 74-46. Sarah Newcomer scored 27 points and Alyssa Hill scored 16. They shot the ball much better against the Huskies than they did against the Bulldogs.

Weisbrod leads NMU in scoring at 16.4 points per game, which ranks second in the GLIAC and 83rd nationally. She blasts away from three regularly, ranking second nationally in threes attempted, 21st in three point percentage and is the national leader in threes per game.

Looking at the Men's Basketball game that follows, the Lakers also earned at split with a 79-72 loss at Parkside and a 59-52 win at Roosevelt. Peter Nwoke dominated Parkside 17 on 8-of-12 shooting, and Karter Richards dropped 16 on Roosevelt in a very efficient performance.

And that's the name of the game for Lake State. Offensive efficiency. 36th in the country in points per game (85.7), 38th in threes shot per game and 33rd in makes (9.8). 72nd in three-point percentage. 55th-best in turnovers per game (11.7). 89th in field goal percentage. 54th in free throws attempted per game. 29th in bench points per game. 24th in assist-to-turnover ratio. 39th in assists per game.

And the Lakers torment teams going the other way, too. 44th in steals per game (9.3), 17th in turnover margin (+4.7 per game), 37th in turnovers forced per game. Beware and take care when you have the ball against LSSU.

Omar Suleiman is 8th in the GLIAC, averaging 16.3 points per game. Harrison Sorrelle is 67th nationally in free throw percentage, while Nino Carter-Smith ranks 66th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.11. He's second in the GLIAC in that category. He's also 114th in assists per game nationally at 3.8 per contest.

NMU knocked off Ferris State 95-66 last time out, blowing out the GLIAC's perennial power. Dylan Kuehl scored 13 on 10-of-13 shooting, adding four boards and two blocks. Isaiah Allen scored 10 on 9-of-13 shooting from the bench. The Cats shot 63.3% from the floor and 41% from three, but just 58.8% from the line. Still, they torched the basket, shooting 67.7% in the opening half.

Before that, NMU dropped an 84-75 result to Michigan Tech. Kuehl scored 27, but the Cats shot just 35.5% from the field and 21.2% from three.

Kuehl averages 18.8 points per game, 59th nationally and third in the GLIAC. He's 61st in the country in field goal percentage, 45th in shots attempted and 14th in field goals made.

NMU doesn't run a blistering pace, but they are very efficient offensively. They're second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio, 18th in assists per game, fourth in scoring margini, 23rd in field goal percentage and ninth in three point percentage. And they don't cough up the ball - second-best in turnovers at a mere 9.5 per game. They don't steal or block much. But they control tempo well, contest well and run their offense efficiently.

Expect two great college basketball games tonight at the Bud Cooper Gym. Opening tip if 5:30 PM for the Women's Basketball Game, with Men's Basketball following at 7:30 PM. Wear blue tonight and pack the gym for the front half of Rivalry Week at Lake Superior State, with Michigan Tech coming to town on Saturday.