Box Score Nino Carter-Smith showed up in a big way in a rivalry showdown, scoring 24 points, grabbing five rebounds, passing for two assists and stealing a ball for Lake Superior State in a 96-76 loss to #17 Michigan Tech on Thursday night in Houghton, MI.
It was what you'd expect from a U.P. showdown. Rough and tumble basketball with tremendous skill mixed in. Carter-Smith drove the Lakers offense in the opening ten minutes, scoring seven points and setting up
Tyler Jamison for a pair of threes. The Lakers (11-11, 5-8 GLIAC) held a slim lead in the middle stages of the opening half as the two teams battled at the SDC Gym. The Huskies (19-4, 10-3 GLIAC) struggled to contain the Lakers offense in the first half, as LSSU shot 53% from the field.
Omar Suleiman also hammered the Huskies defense. He scored 20 points in the game, with 14 in the first half. He hit a pair of triples early in the game for Lake State.
In a tough game where both teams shot the ball very efficiently, Michigan Tech pulled away with volume. The Huskies shot 32 three-pointers in the game, hitting half of them. Josh Terrian shot 6-of-8 from deep for MTU, scoring 18 points. Marcus Tomashek finished the game with 36.
Tyler Jamison finished with 12 points for Lake Superior State, hitting both of his three-point attempts and four of his five shots overall. The junior from Port Huron, MI added four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block with his energetic performance. He connected on both of his threes in the opening ten minutes of the game, sparking the Lakers lead in the middle of the half.
Both teams protected the basketball very well. The Lakers, one of the best possession teams in the country, only committed 10 turnovers, while the Huskies gave the ball away eight times. It led to a fast-paced, open, skilled game between two rivals.
The Lakers travel to Marquette, MI on Saturday for a GLIAC showdown with #16 Northern Michigan before returning home next Thursday to take on Saginaw Valley State. Then, the following Monday, catch Monday Night Basketball at the Bud Cooper Gym in Sault Ste. Marie. Buy your tickets online or at the Norris Center box office.
