Lake Superior State and Ferris State seem destined to only play thrillers against each other until the end of time.
Every matchup has the skill, the tenacity, the heart, the grit, the crowd, the tension and the stakes to produce an instant classic. Saturday saw the latest chapter in the thrilling series between two great basketball teams, as the Lakers nearly won the game on a last second shot, and Ferris State held on for an 86-84 win in Big Rapids, MI.
LSSU (8-10, 3-7 GLIAC)Â never held a lead in the game, but nearly won it at the horn anyway. With 3:03 left in the game, the Lakers trailed the Bulldogs (8-8, 5-4 GLIAC) 79-68. But, digging deep to show great resiliency, the Lakers raced back.
Drew Hess hit back-to-back threes, scored five quick points and
Harrison Sorrelle nailed a triple. Just like that, with 57 seconds left in the game, the Lakers had cut the gap to 84-82. The two teams traded buckets, setting up a wild finish on the final possession. While the Lakers had two bites at the apple, they couldn't get that one final basket to tie or take the lead, and the Bulldogs held on.
Jamison attacked the Bulldogs defense relentlessly. He set a new career-high with 24 points, hitting 7-of-12 shots and converting 8-of-10 foul shots. He dunked and scored a layup late in the game, drawing a foul on the latter and converting the three-point play.
Drew Hess scored 15 from the bench for LSSU, while
Omar Suleiman scored 14. While
Nino Carter-Smith only scored four points, he passed brilliantly. The junior registered eight assists and snatched five rebounds.
LSSU scored 60 points in the second half, shooting 53.9% from the field in the back half of the game. The Lakers outscored the Bulldogs 40-29 in the paint and 19-10 off turnovers. Both teams attacked the paint regularly, accounting for 54% of the game's total scoring in the rectangle.
Circle Monday, February 16th on the calendar and buy your tickets early as Lake State hosts Ferris State for Monday Night Basketball at the Bud Cooper Gym in Sault Ste. Marie. The Lakers return home this Thursday for a meeting with Roosevelt before facing Wisconsin Parkside on Saturday. Buy your tickets for all Laker basketball games online or at the Norris Center box office.
