Lakers finally return to Cooper Gym
SAULT STE. MARIE – After playing seven straight road games dating back to Nov. 18, the Lake Superior State men’s and women’s basketball teams are spending this week acclimating themselves to their home court.
The Lakers finally play a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference home game this Saturday when they play host to Saginaw Valley State. The women’s game begins at 1 p.m., and the men’s game follows at 3 p.m. at Bud Cooper Gymnasium.
Both Laker teams are 0-3 starts in the GLIAC, and their conference seasons began with losses at Saginaw Valley State on Dec. 1. The Laker women hope to avenge a 73-58 loss to the Cardinals. The Laker men suffered an 82-80 overtime loss at SVSU. Three of the LSSU men’s five losses have occurred in overtime.
Junior forward Maria Blazejewski is ranked second in the GLIAC in scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game, and senior center Cassy Schemberger is ranked second in rebounding at 10.7 rebounds per game. The two Laker veterans carry big loads for a young squad. Blazejewski was held to 11 points by the Cardinals (2-6 overall, 1-2 GLIAC), but has averaged 22.5 points per game during her last two outings.
“We need to contain our energy level and not dig ourselves so much of a hole, so we can come out better in the second half,” noted LSSU coach Justin Rees during this week’s coaches show. He was referring to his team’s eagerness to perform well in front of its former coach, Jamie Pewinski, who took over the SVSU program this year. The Lakers fell behind during the first half against the Cardinals, 46-27.
Following that game, LSSU suffered a 16-point loss at Northwood and a 33-point setback at Hillsdale.
“One of the things that I’ve grown accustomed to, and I think this team is already known for early in the season is the way we grind out, our physical nature and the way we never quit,” Rees said. “And unfortunately we didn’t see that on Saturday (at Hillsdale). That team really didn’t show up, and that goes on all of us…If you want to get specific, it was definitely our defense. We were very lackluster in being physical and rebounding the basketball. Offensively, yes, we only scored 51, but that came from the energy level.”
The LSSU men have contended in every game they’ve played, but it’s not sitting well with coach Steve Hettinga that his team is ranked 14th in the GLIAC in scoring defense.
“There are a lot of things that we do average to good, but there needs to be something that we do great, and it has to be our defense,” said Hettinga, who squad is ranked 10th in scoring margin (-8.7). “The part that’s most frustrating to me is that we really haven’t clicked defensively this year yet. We’ve had some great games defensively, against Indy and Missouri-St. Louis, who two really great offensive teams. We held both those teams to under 64 points and held them under 40 percent shooting. But you’re not winning in our conference if you’re not playing great defense, especially on the road in a hostile environment. And, frankly, we have not done that in our first three league games.”
Senior guard Kyle Hunt is averaging 15.4 points per game to lead the Laker men in scoring. Sophomore guard Derek Billing follows at 14.4 ppg, and junior forward Derek Kinney is pitching in 13.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. In league play, Hunt is ranked sixth in scoring at 17.3 ppg. Kinney is ranked fifth in field-goal percentage at .619.
The SVSU men enter this week with a 4-5 overall mark and 1-2 GLIAC record.
Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1400.
