HEADLINE: Valentine’s day ballad

SUBHEAD: Column: Sports editor spends eve watching hoops with mascots

By Jay Bushen

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I should preface this by confessing my childlike enthusiasm for all types of mascot-related shenanigans. That brand of humor just does it for me.

This story begins with my 14-mile commute from Grand Rapids to Allendale. It’s Saturday night, Valentine’s Day, and my romantic endeavors are placed aside on account of my love for quality sports journalism. Go team.

While intentionally fishtailing my way into the Fieldhouse Arena parking lot, I begin my routine: The number of cars suggests a poor turnout. Grand Valley State students are elsewhere, perhaps searching for love. In my head, it’s warmer where they are.

Whatever.

Not as many fans as usual in the house tonight, but I made it to press row safely. The GVSU and Northwood men are warming up. I do the same, which involves less stretching, more sitting and more numbers.

The big one tonight is four, the number of games left. The Lakers are 6-12 in conference play; Northwood is 9-9. The GLIAC Tournament picture is becoming clear at this point: Lake State, Saginaw, Michigan Tech and Ferris are running the North Division show. They’re in. The South gets three spots.

One spot is up for grabs. Does GVSU still have a chance at keeping the 10-year streak of tourney appearances alive? I check schedules. Doesn’t look good, but there’s hope if the Lakers end this six-game home slide tonight. Some hope.

Then more hope. I spot the Griffins mascot, Griff, from across the gym. Then I see a basketball-headed homie, who I’m told is Buckets from the Grand Rapids Drive. What’s this? Crash from the White Caps? And Louie’s here?

Hold up. Four mascots in the same place, at the same time?

I spend what feels like five (but is more like 25) minutes laughing. Griff’s clownin’, turning my stat sheets into paper airplanes and pretending to eat my head. I absolutely lose track of time, but I’m feeling better.

Things are looking up for GVSU, too. Ryan Sabin knocks down a jumper at the 8:41 mark, putting the Lakers up 20-16, and he’s the fifth Laker to score. Meanwhile, Ricky Carbajal is continuing his hot streak down low.

At the 3:24 mark, Drake Baar and Aaron Hayes check in for GVSU. Had a chance to write about Hayes earlier this year. Things haven’t gone as planned thus far: He started late with a hamstring injury, came back, hurt his other hamstring and missed 14 games. It’s his first game back.

It’s 32-25 GVSU at halftime. After I find out why the mascots are here – a dance-off against the Laker Dance Team – I watch as the Lakers come out swinging in the second half.

Four points from Sabin make it 35-28, then Ryskamp gets a fast-break layup. Sabin scores the next five, followed by a bucket from Slick Rick down low. Northwood scores. Then Hayes completes a three-point play. Then Hayes hits a triple, from Carbajal, and in the blink of an eye it’s 52-32.

GVSU cruised to an 80-62 victory, stayed in the hunt against a team it couldn’t lose to and played to its potential. These guys were feeling it. Confident. I saw swagger I haven’t seen since last season.

Keep in mind, this is a Laker team that had just eight of its 15 players healthy enough to practice at one point this year. It’s been rough, but there are reasons to be optimistic with three games left. More than I thought.

All five teams competing for the No. 8 spot; Northwood (9-10), Hillsdale (9-10), Malone (8-11), GVSU (7-12) and Northern (7-12); have tough schedules down the stretch, not just GVSU.

The team also gets Hillsdale at home this Saturday, which could potentially be a big game.

The Lakers will probably have to win at SVSU and at FSU, but they went 4-0 against those teams last year with help from senior point guard Rob Woodson. This year, the Lakers are 0-2 against those teams, but Woodson’s replacement is back.

They’re healthier than they’ve been in weeks, and they’ve finally got some momentum.

I left Allendale that night in a good mood. Was it the mascots? Probably. But it was refreshing to see the Lakers stand tall and band together with their season on the line. Win or lose, this is a team that deserves its home fans on Saturday night.

Might not be four mascots there, but worth traversing through subzero temperatures.