After losing two straight games for the second time this season, the No. 15 Ferris State Bulldogs rebounded with a big win over the Roosevelt Lakers on Monday.
The Bulldogs (19-5, 9-3 in GLIAC) used a strong second half to propel them to victory over the Lakers (6-14 overall, 3-9 in GLIAC), scoring 56 points in the later frame. Junior guard Tyler Hamilton and senior guard Ethan Erickson both posted 21-point outings, alongside a double-double from junior forward Nathan Claerbaut.
Both teams traded buckets early in the first half. The Bulldogs pulled away by as much as seven in the first minutes, but Roosevelt combatted with a barrage of putbacks from offensive rebounds.
With three minutes to play in the half, Hamilton scored five straight points to put Ferris ahead 34-29. Hamilton finished with 12 tallies after the first. The Bulldogs failed to cash in on multiple three-point shots in the waning seconds but exited the half ahead 40-33.
The Bulldogs came out firing in the second half, as two threes from Erickson helped Ferris go up 48-35.
Multiple offensive rebounds and steals continued to lead the way, with Ferris quickly blowing the game wide open, taking a 56-35 lead. Roosevelt scored just one bucket in the first five minutes of play.
While the Lakers hung around offensively in the later minutes, the balanced attack from the Bulldogs kept a consistent 20-point lead, sealing the win.
Head coach Andy Bronkema was a big fan of the team’s work ethic and hopes the win can carry over.
“The guys are doing their jobs and it made a big difference,” Bronkema said. “Now we’re just focused on wining the next one while getting better along the way.”
Ferris shot a combined 52% (36-69) from the field while draining 37.5% (12-32) of their threes. The Bulldog bench also contributed 40 of Ferris’ points.
The Bulldogs remain in the third-place position of the GLIAC standings, just one game behind Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State who are tied for first.
Ferris will go back on the road this week, as they take on the Davenport Panthers on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.