The Bulldogs play defense in Saturday's game (Photo by Rob Bentley)
The Bulldogs play defense in Saturday's game (Photo by Rob Bentley)

Lakers End FSU's GLIAC Tourney Hopes

Postgame Audio Report
(MP3 Version)

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. - The Ferris State University women's basketball team got off to a good start and led for much of the way, but in the end the Lake Superior State Lakers pulled out a 54-42 triumph in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) competition on Saturday (Feb. 20) afternoon inside Bud Cooper Gymnasium at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

FSU opened the game with a 26-19 halftime lead before the Lakers scored the first eight points of the second period.  The game stayed relatively even for much of the way, however, LSSU took control at the end to record the victory.

The loss, coupled by a win from Northwood, officially eliminated the Bulldogs from any chances of receiving a GLIAC Tournament berth for the 11th-straight season.

Ferris led by three with 7:51 to play before Lake Superior State went on a 9-1 run to take the lead for good. FSU cut the lead to three with 3:34 remaining, but could get no closer.

Sophomore guard Kelsey DeNoyelles paced FSU with a game-high 17 points on four-of-eight shooting along with a eight-of-10 showing at the free throw stripe.  Junior guard Becci Houdek was the only other FSU player to reach double-digit scoring with 11 points.

The Lakers had three players score 10 points or more with Emily Joseph netting a team-best 15 points. Ronlea Peterson chipped in with 11 points and Nicole Marshall scored 10 points while Cassy Schemberger contributed nine points and 11 boards.

Ferris shot only 27.1% (13-48) from the floor and was four-of-16 (25%) beyond the arc.  The Bulldogs converted 42.9% of their tries from the floor in the opening stanza, but made only four-of-27 (14.8%) field goal attempts in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Meanwhile, the Lakers finished at 36.2% (17-47) from the field and made five-of-18 (27.8%) three-pointers along with 15-of-22 (68.2%) free throw attempts.

Both teams finished with 36 total rebounds and the Bulldogs grabbed 11 offensive boards.  However, FSU turned the ball over 20 times in the game with the Lakers compiling 18 miscues.

Ferris State had 10 steals, nine assists and two blockeds shots compared to LSSU's 11 assists, nine steals and seven blocks.  Houdek had four steals for FSU.

Ferris wraps up its season by hosting Northwood and Wayne State next Thursday (Feb. 25) and Saturday (Feb. 27), respectively, at FSU's Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids.  Thursday's game against NU starts at 6 p.m. (EST) with Saturday's outing beginning at 1 p.m. (EST).

The season finale versus WSU on Feb. 27 has been dubbed "Operation Giveaway" with a variety of prizes, scholarships and more slated to be given away in an effort to help fill Wink Arena for the contest.