Lakers and Cardinals to meet for the second time in three weeks
SAULT STE. MARIE – Lake Superior State, which is weeks away from completing the first round of basketball games against division opponents, meets Saginaw Valley State for the second time in three weeks.
The Lakers and Cardinals play a double-header Saturday at Bud Cooper Gymnasium. The men’s game begins at 1 p.m., and the women’s game follows at 3 p.m. Both contests will be broadcast live on Talkradio 1400 AM.
On Dec. 2, all five starters scored in double figures for the LSSU men’s team, which came from behind to beat SVSU, 85-78 in overtime. Since then, the Lakers (6-3 overall, 1-2 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) have lost two straight, including last Saturday’s hard-fought five-point loss to 17th-ranked Hillsdale.
Junior guard Kyle Hunt is averaging 18.2 points per game after scoring a career-high 33 points against the Chargers. He is ranked third in the GLIAC in scoring and tied for eighth in assists (3.4 apg). Senior center Justin Williams is tied for 10th in rebounding (6.2 rpg), while sophomore forward Derek Kinney is fifth in field-goal percentage (.600) and freshman guard Derek Billing is fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.1). Senior guard Micah Hudson averages 13.2 ppg, including a team-leading 24 three-pointers.
Despite the back-to-back losses, LSSU still leads the GLIAC in field-goal percentage defense (.383) and rebound margin (+7.8), and is tied for first in assists (17.0 apg).
Sophomore Michael Fugate of SVSU is ranked 11th in scoring at 15.8 ppg. He totaled 11 points, five assists and six turnovers against LSSU. Sophomore Chris Webb, who averages 13.8 ppg, led the Cardinals (3-5 overall, 0-3 GLIAC) with 18 points, four assists and three steals.
The LSSU women’s team takes a 3-0 GLIAC mark into Saturday’s rematch with the Cardinals (3-5 overall, 1-2 GLIAC). Junior center Cassy Schemberger totaled 23 points and nine rebounds, and senior guard Emily Joseph added 20 points for the Lakers (6-3 overall), who beat SVSU 76-64 on Dec. 2.
Joseph followed that game with 16 points and six assists against Northwood, and 27 points and five steals against Hillsdale. At the same time, LSSU is shooting an amazing 92.2 percent at the free-throw line against GLIAC opponents. The Lakers are ranked third nationally in overall free-throw percentage at 81.1 percent. Their 17-of-17 effort against Northwood is tied for first on the national season highs list, while their 21-of-22 mark against the Chargers is ranked fourth.
“It helps that the right people are getting to the line,” noted LSSU coach Jamie Pewinski.
SVSU is led by freshman Kristen Greene, who shoots 48.9 percent from three-point range and averages a league-leading 2.8 three-pointers per game. She averages 10.9 ppg, but was held to five points by the Lakers. Cheritee Green had highs of 13 points and 13 rebounds against LSSU.
