Grand Valley State University’s men’s basketball team took on archrival Ferris State University on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers were able to dominate the No. 16 ranked Bulldogs in the largest rivalry in 17 years, as the final score was 94-62.
Considering the only 65 miles that separate GVSU and Ferris, there is little love between the two programs. The teams’ rivalry made the competition one of the season’s most highly anticipated games.
“We don’t like them, and they don’t like us,” said GVSU junior Jalen Charity. “These games are always competitive, and it brings out lots of emotion.”
During these games, there is always an emphasis on how to properly use such emotion. No coach wants their team to play without intensity and harnessing rivalry feelings to promote better play is key. The Lakers already knew this, and Charity reiterated the importance of how to use energy and emotion.
“We always play by our principles in every game,” said Charity. “Although it is always a big game and tensions rise, we have to focus on taking care of what we do.”
GVSU came out firing on all cylinders to start the matchup. They abruptly jumped ahead to a 10-point lead just four minutes into the ball game. The contribution came from every position, and the first five buckets for the Lakers were scored from five different players.
Ferris was able to stick with the Lakers, dwindling the lead back to single digits several times. However, the Lakers would not be denied the win. In the final seven minutes of the first half, GVSU went on a 19-9 run. The Lakers were able to build a 17-point lead before halftime, making the score 45-28 at the break. A big part of their success was the efficient 3-point shooting by the Lakers. The team shot an impressive 43% from beyond the arc.
The second half was no different for the Lakers. Their first act of the second half was a 12-3 scoring run. Once Ferris started to feel any sort of rhythm, GVSU sophomore Kaden Brown scored five straight points.
Both buckets were different; one was assisted on a catch-and-shoot, and the other was the result of created space.
“I would say I’m pretty flexible,” said Brown. “I like creating my own chances, but if I am open on the catch, I shoot at a pretty good clip.”
Things got out of control for Ferris fairly early on in the second frame of the game. GVSU was even more sensational in the second half. They had another solid outing from the 3-point line while drastically improving from the field by 20%.
The Lakers scored 45 points in the first half but were able to top themselves with 49 points in the second. GVSU also had four players with double figures by the end of the game.
After another purely one-sided 20 minutes of basketball, the Lakers ended the matchup, winning by 32 points. This marked the largest victory in their rivalry with Ferris since 2008. GVSU moved to 12-10 on the year and 8-8 in conference play.
Considering this win and their win against Lake Superior State on Thursday, Feb. 6, the Lakers have now beaten back-to-back ranked opponents at the GVSU Fieldhouse. The team looks to continue the momentum when they leave their home court on Thursday, Feb. 13 to take on the Purdue Northwest Pride.
