The Bud Cooper Gymnasium saw a half-dozen Game of the Year candidates in the 2025-26 season. But Wednesday's GLIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinal probably stole the show.

Omar Suleiman hit a Lake Superior State record 10 three-pointers, sent the game to overtime and then won it for LSSU, as the Lakers beat the Purdue Northwest Pride 93-91 in an epic duel for a spot in the tournament semis.

"That's an instant classic," Laker Head Coach Steve Hettinga told News Talk 1400 after the game. "That was a crazy game. Never felt like we were in control, even when we got up 10. It was the Omar Suleiman show."

Suleiman broke Mark Morse's record of nine three-pointers, set in a 102-74 Laker win over Saginaw Valley on January 3rd, 2009. Time and again, he torched the Pride defense, scoring 27 points with six made threes in the opening half. But his finest work came at the end.

The game saw 11 ties and 15 lead changes, most in the second half and several in the dying seconds of regulation. It was a wildly entertaining slugfest between Lake State (19-11, 12-8 GLIAC) and Purdue Northwest (14-14, 10-10 GLIAC), a team the Lakers had beaten by 17 twice this season, includong on Saturday.

With Purdue Northwest up 82-80, Suleiman hit a stepback three with 6.1 seconds left. It looked like the Lakers had won the game 83-82 and Suleiman had capped off a fantastic evening.

Not even close. That wasn't even the last tie or lead change in regulation.

Off the inbound, Ahlante Askew raced coast-to-coast and scored a layup to put the Pride back up with 0.9 seconds left. Still not the last tie. As Askew peeled away from the basket with his own would-be game-winner, one of his teammates left the bench, ran onto the court and celebrated with Askew. The referees assessed a single-shot technical foul to the Pride bench.

Suleiman hit the free throw, tying the game back up at 84-84. Now the game finally went to overtime.

In OT, the Pride held a 91-90 lead in the dying seconds, with the Lakers scrambling for an open look. They found the one open man on the floor.

Omar Suleiman.

And as he watched the ball fly through the netting, Bud Cooper Gym went bonkers. It was pandemonium in Sault Ste. Marie for one of the wildest finishes in college basketball this season. Suleiman had 44 points, and the Lakers had the game's last lead.

But there was one last gasp at high drama, as 0.5 seconds remained. And Kyle Ross had a nearly halfcourt heave that clanged off the front of the rim, momentarily stunning the crowd again. But the game had ended. Lake Superior State emerged victorious.

"You can certainly use the cliché, we survived and advanced," Hettinga said. "We battled. We made enough plays to win the game."

It takes two great teams to make a great game. Ross shot 11-of-17 for 27 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Taylor scored 25 on 9-of-12 shooting with eight boards. The Pride shot 58% from the field.

"He does an amazing job," Hettinga said of Pride Head Coach Jordan Ashton. "Neither team deserves to lose. They had a great gameplan. They executed. It just came down to the last play."

Karter Richards scored 12 points for Lake State. Tyler Jamison led the Lakers in rebounding with seven boards. Nino Carter-Smith scored eight points and passed for seven assists, while plundering four steals away from the Pride.

The Lakers move on to the GLIAC Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals on Saturday. Northern Michigan hosts the semifinals and championship game at Vandament Arena in Marquette, MI on Saturday and Sunday. All four top seeds won their games, so Michigan Tech plays Grand Valley State, while Lake State faces host NMU. That matchup saw two tremendous games this season, each decided by a single possession. The Wildcats won in the Sault, but the Lakers beat them in the return matchup.

Hettinga said, "It's going to be a great challenge for us. I know our guys will be excited to go there."

The Lakers' season has been stuffed with close, thrilling contests. They've played a bunch of them against the other three teams remaining in the field. Saturday, Lake State squares off with NMU at 2:00 PM. LSSU enters the game on an eight game winning streak, the best in the league. Two of the league's best teams, featuring stars like Suleiman, Karter Richards and Dylan Kuehl; and two of its best coaches in Steve Hettinga and Matt Majkrzak will battle again for a spot in the GLIAC Tournament Championship game on Sunday. Buy your tickets to see the GLIAC Semifinals in person, watch live on FloCollege or listen to Dave Watson's call on News Talk 1400.