Dec. 11, 2007

SAULT STE. MARIE - The Lake Superior State men's and women's basketball teams have the monumental task of taking on Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division rival Ferris State in a double-header Saturday at Bud Cooper Gymnasium.

The women's game begins at 1 p.m., and the men's game follows at 3 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on WSOO 1230 AM and simulcast on www.lssulakers.com. Pay-per-view video coverage is available on the B2 Network.

Saturday is NCAA Take a Kid to the Game Day, and all children age 14 and under will be admitted for free if they are accompanied by an adult who purchases a ticket. Members of the LSSU men's basketball team will be available to sign autographs during halftime of the women's game, and the LSSU women's basketball team will do the same at the conclusion of their game. Children will receive a poster than they can use for obtaining autographs.

The Laker women, who are 3-5 overall and 1-3 in the GLIAC, are facing one of the league's hottest teams. Ferris State (6-1 overall, 2-0 GLIAC) has won five straight games, including league victories over Northwood and Saginaw Valley State. The Bulldogs opened their season with an exhibition victory over Division I Central Michigan.

FSU is the GLIAC's top free-throw shooting team and is ranked second in field-goal percentage - one spot ahead of LSSU. The Lakers are ranked 11th and the Bulldogs 13th in turnover margin, so limiting turnovers could be a deciding factor in the game.

Senior guard Shalyn Beauchamp, a Rock, Mich., native who is averaging a team-leading 13.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, leads the Lakers in both categories as well as assists. Beauchamp, who was last week's GLIAC North Division Player of the Week, and her teammates in the post will have their hands full with another Upper Peninsula standout, Ferris State senior forward Rachel Folcik of Powers, Mich. Folcik, who is the GLIAC Pre-Season Player of the Year, is averaging a league-leading 20.0 points per game. She is ranked third in the GLIAC in rebounding, averaging 9.1 rpg.

The LSSU men's team is 1-7 overall and 1-3 in the GLIAC and coming off its first victory of the season - 80-59 over Mercyhurst. The steadily-improving Lakers have had a balanced offensive attack as junior guard Tim VanOudheusden is averaging 12.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, followed by junior center Ryan Kuhl at 12.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg, sophomore guard Scott Perkins at 10.8 ppg, and junior guard Mark Morse at 10.4 ppg. Perkins was named GLIAC North Division Player of the Week after averaging 21 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists, and scoring a career-high 25 points against Gannon last week.

Ferris State (3-4 overall, 1-1 GLIAC) is coming off a disappointing 72-62 non-conference loss to Tiffin (1-8). The Bulldogs committed 21 turnovers and allowed the Dragons to shoot 51 percent from the field.

The only two statistical categories in which the Lakers and Bulldogs greatly differ are defending the three-point shot and rebounding. FSU is ranked second and LSSU seventh in rebound margin, and FSU is ranked sixth and LSSU 10th in three-point field-goal percentage defense. Those are two critical areas in which the Lakers need to hold their own in order to challenge the Bulldogs.