Ferris State Resumes GLIAC Play With Home Win Over Roosevelt

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BIG RAPIDS, Mich. — The Ferris State University men's basketball squad resumed Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play on Saturday (Jan. 3) by coming away with a 82-68 victory over Roosevelt inside Jim Wink Arena. The win was the second-straight for FSU and third in the Bulldogs' last four outings.

The Bulldogs capitalized on their advantage in the paint, outscoring Roosevelt 46-36, while maintaining a significant lead for most of the game. FSU also pulled down 49 rebounds compared to only 36 for the Lakers while grabbing 14 offensive boards in the win.

With the victory, Ferris State evened its record at 5-5 overall and improved to 2-1 in GLIAC play.

FSU opened the game with a strong performance in the paint, scoring 26 points inside in the opening frame. Despite an early deficit, they quickly gained momentum with Owen Hardy contributing significantly, including a dunk and two free throws to narrow the gap. Senior Brandon Claerbaut's three-pointer at 14:18 gave Ferris State its first lead at 14–10. They extended their lead further with a 9–0 run, highlighted by Bryce Moore's fast-break layup and free throw, pushing the score to 35–22. The Bulldogs maintained their advantage, closing the half ahead 40–30 over the Lakers.

The Bulldogs extended their advantage early in the second half, with Claerbaut hitting a three-pointer at 16:55 to push the lead. The home team sustained their momentum with contributions from multiple players, including a notable dunk by Hardy with eight minutes remaining, assisted by Joey Cabana. The Bulldogs controlled both the paint and the perimeter, effectively managing possessions and capitalizing on Roosevelt's fouls. The half closed with a strong defensive performance, as Ferris State came away with an 82-68 victory for the league home win.

Moore scored 17 points and recorded two steals, making an impact on both ends of the court. Senior Mykel Bingham posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while also contributing two blocks. Hardy finished with 14 points, adding seven rebounds, three blocks and five steals to his defensive stats. Claerbaut tallied 14 points, notched seven rebounds and led the team with six assists, contributing to the offensive flow.

Dante Sawyer led Roosevelt, scoring 22 points with impressive efficiency at the free-throw line, hitting nine-of-10 attempts. Mikey West contributed 14 points while adding six rebounds and three assists, although he fouled out. Hamahrie Bowers recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, along with a block.

The Bulldogs shot 41% from the floor for the game and went 20-of-23 (87.0%) at the free throw line while also coming away with nine steals and five blocks in addition to 19 assists. FSU held the Lakers to only 37.1% shooting with RU making only three-of-22 (13.6%) long range tries.

Ferris State finished with a 12-5 edge in second chance production and the Bulldog bench outscored the Roosevelt reserves by a 24-6 count despite the fact both teams only played seven players in the contest.

FSU will look to complete the homestand with a sweep as the Bulldogs host Parkside on Monday (Jan. 5) evening starting at 7:30 p.m. (ET) inside Wink Arena.