Ferris State Bounces Back For Third-Straight Impressive Saturday Victory

Highlights & Postgame Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - For the third consecutive Saturday, the Ferris State University men's basketball squad bounced back in a big way as the Bulldogs raced past visiting Northern Michigan 67-45 at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.

After falling in Friday's opening game of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) weekend homestead, the Bulldogs took a 27-26 halftime lead in the finale. However, FSU dominated the second half of play, outscoring the Wildcats 40-19 over the final 20 minutes to garner the win.

It marked the third-straight weekend in which the Bulldogs fought back for an impressive win after falling in the opening game of the league's back-to-back weekend action.

The Bulldogs shot 54.2% in the second half and limited the Wildcats to only 28% shooting in the final half, showcasing their ability on both ends of the floor. Overall, FSU converted 50% of its field goals on the day and allowed NMU to shoot only 33.3% on the day.

Senior guard Walt Kelser knocked down four three's in the victory and finished with 15 points while adding three assists in the game. He was joined in double-digits by junior forward Mason Pline, who had a big second half and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in a near double-double performance.

The Bulldogs also got nine points from sophomore Vejas Grazulis and senior Logan Ryan on the inside with sophomore guard Ben Davidson adding eight points on the perimeter. Senior forward Michael Peterson totaled five points and four assists and also pulled down eight rebounds while notching three steals.

Northern Michigan failed to have a player reach double-figure scoring as both Ben Wolf and Dolapo Olayinka notched a team-high eight points each. 

Ferris State sank eight-of-17 (47.1%) three's and went 11-of-13 (84.6%) at the charity stripe in comparison to NMU's two-of-16 (12.5%) effort from downtown. The Wildcats were nine-of-12 (75%) at the line.

On the glass, the Bulldogs owned a 33-27 rebounding margin and FSU finished with only 13 turnovers compared to the Wildcats' 15 on the day. FSU also had six steals and three blocks to go with 22 assists on 24 made baskets. Both Ryan and freshman Jimmy Scholler had four assists each with Kelser and freshman Curtis Jackson dishing out three helpers apiece.

Ferris State wraps up its three-game homestead with a single contest against divisional rival Lake Superior State on Tuesday (Jan. 26) at 5 p.m. (ET) inside Wink Arena. The game will be carried live on local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network with live audio and video coverage at FerrisStateBulldogs.com.