>> Hi, everybody.

And welcome back to an all-new episode of the Grand Valley State Sports report right here in Wgu.

I'm your host Steve Lloyd-Jones.

And here's what's coming up for you tonight.

GSU Football Higher.

Scott Rooster is the 8th coach in program history.

TV issue men's basketball grabs 2 wins on the road in the up while the women split the week across the bridge.

Our future this week highlights the GSU track and field indoor team and some student athletes that are hitting their marks early in the season.

Lockett in Laker Nation as the Grand Valley State Sports report starts right now.

We have at least a director of Athletics.

Kerry backer announced that the team function Saturday night that Scott Mister will be the 8th head football coach in program history.

>> And again, you here that.

>> How badly I wanted to be your leader.

How will that honored that I him to get you to lead this group of men?

I want to do what I got for you.

And here's what our staff has for you.

This is what we're going to do.

We're going to grow and build new to the best version of yourself.

I charmed 100 G everything I got.

It's going to grow and build you in the best for yourself to grow and grow.

Bruno, the state football into the best version of itself.

>> Why?

>> Wooster most recently concluded his 3rd year as the offensive line Titans coach and run game coordinator for the Lakers, Worcester Mentor and offensive line in 2022.

The tallied 5 all Glee Act honorees including 3 0st team performers was through the Pitt coach Grand Valley State football history and the 4th consecutive head coach to be hired with the move in current staff TVs.

You men's basketball continued its winning ways with a sweep of the up teams over the weekend.

Grand Valley down northern Michigan and Michigan Tack and head coach.

Cornell Mann is here to tell us more about those winds.

Coach.

Welcome.

Welcome to the show.

You're down here into the talk about it and 8 of 10 in the win column for you lately as a really getting it done.

>> No doubt.

Thanks for having me here.

Pleasure to be here.

8 out of 10 is a credit to our guys and and and the energy effort and focus that they have.

And at this time of the season, which is the perfect time to to collect everything in terms of the team, we doing a great job.

They're doing a great job in terms of just plan together.

>> Well, you get those we say to winds here, never easy to do.

You have to start a northern Michigan.

I mean, they're pretty good but shook their but 90 points a game.

You and I talking off air at their place.

But you go up and win 80 to 77 and you're able to get this done.

Then you Keely late with a key basket and get a stop.

>> Well, our are our number one thing was to one take care of the ball, which we did a great job of to to Outrebounding which again, we did a great job.

We did not.

We definitely didn't tell him that it was that those guys were score 90 plus points a game at home right now.

Our guys are are pretty focused on who we are and we'll do our best to keep it that way and not let any out outside influences influences.

And so right now, I think mentally, we are strong as we can be as as a unit.

>> Well, as you're touching on some of those categories at numbers to him, you know, rebounding.

36, 27, including 11 offensive boards.

You get 7 steals in this game.

A lot of activity, 3 guys in double figures here.

And it would be a really good weekend for up Native American Morris Soakers less as he was able to get the double double in this game, 14 points, 11 boards.

So again, great effort because going to the up kind of got to bring your own energy, don't?

Yeah, it's trip.

Not many people there to root job, but you guys were or you're all over the place.

>> Well, again, I guys playing better as a unit and you can tell because even during the game as I coached a game, I can hear the bench a lot more.

I can hear you guys on the floor, which we're supposed to hear them.

But here in the bench and the excitement from the vents is is what really propels us and propels me to know that we're moving in the right direction.

>> Right.

When you get done with that long road trip there at northern the first of the 2 games.

Now you have kind of a guess.

It's almost like a double challenge.

You're going to tack after an off day on the Friday.

Tech is not having a great year.

So you kind of got you to go to their place, as we say, bring that energy and a team that maybe is a challenge to get up for innocence.

I like northern because they're not playing as well.

But it's such a tough place to play.

>> Well, it is a tough place to play.

The situation would have it be even tougher.

You know you if you so we did not start hears and we changed a couple of rotations because guys are are still working to become the unit that that we can become.

And, you know, Harris is really playing well right now.

Mars played is his tail off.

He's he's playing at a high level are been says is is coming in the game and focus.

So right now everything is everything is trending up.

Everything is trending up.

And as long as we did 2 categories again, taking care of the ball because because most of the time we lose, we lose the glass and we lose order to the opposition in scoring in and off our turnovers.

And that in itself will will.

And that's why no disrespect in team.

But that's why I feel like we beat ourselves lot of times because we turn it over and or we don't control the glass.

And that's one of us.

>> Well, you guys again, great job on the boards.

Almost doubling Michigan Tech.

39 to 20 some of these key.

A team stats now in the paint.

You outscore them.

48 to 6 a whopping number.

Their second chance points off those offensive boards by 10 in that category bench points by 11 touch on a couple of key things here in this game.

You had a really important run about 13.

0, I believe it was early part of the 2nd half.

That was a big surge.

And then you made adjustments at halftime and their 3 point shooting.

They had come out, hit a believe it or 7 in the 1st half.

And you really limit that.

So talk about that may be at half what you guys focused on in that 2nd half.

We really executed.

>> Well, coach thing.

So the first thing was we played our normal unit.

So great play the repairs, play to start and then a rotation was normal.

So that help other thing is I think and have time we talked about mean those guys were shooting.

That was 7 for 14 from 3.

And so what we did was just reiterated the fact that you don't have any help on the shot.

So you have to be there when a guy catch the ball and shut down the shot now wants to shut down the shot.

Now we continue to defend him or whomever would have the ball.

And so we did a great job of running guys off the 3 point line and and forcing them to take threes because that's what they do say don't take them before sun, that hate guarded check threes.

And and then obviously we rebound the ball, didn't give them second opportunities at the rim.

And so I think I think that have time.

Those were 2 things that what would be an adjustment to to propel us on the 13.

0, run early.

>> Yeah.

74 61.

Grand Valley beats Michigan Tech there on the road again.

Risk is real.

17 points.

Almost got another double double unit.

9 boards.

Daniel Keely, 12 points preview for us.

This coming week is now you're back at home.

It's Purdue, the northwest.

There are over 500 about coming in and parkside.

I mean, their way over 500, they're 13 6.63.

In the conference.

You're back home.

But 2 pretty tough teams coming in.

>> Well, yeah.

And and and both of those games were really good.

I didn't think we played great at Parkside a it was the first game that after after the holidays and I just didn't think we understood who we had to be.

But again, and because we were playing a good brand of ball before the holiday and then we lost that game.

And so it it it turn to set up a little bit in terms of who we supposed to be every time we take the floor.

And so this this week, again, it will be on us, but we have to defend at a high level and the first game against Purdue Northwest.

Both teams are quality teams to Northwest is a hardball in team.

We just bought a little harder on their home floor.

We we had all son James who had a career-high and got a lot done.

19 points in 21 minutes.

He can really score the ball.

He played defense better harder.

He'll he'll have the opportunity to do those type of things again.

And so we have to protect a home are issue with being home in my opinion is us.

And the fact that we are players have their friends and families and sometimes when you're not locked on the way in then all of a sudden you're playing for the crowd were planned for those reasons.

Instead, a plan for other reasons that we supposed to be playing as a unit.

And so I think our guys are maturing to that point where they can handle that.

So looking forward to this weekend, looking for to the maturation process of our squad.

>> Lebanon, 18 overall 5, 4, in the conference are over 500 in conference play 8 of 10 in the win column for the Lakers had dealing with those distraction.

So it's fun and that was a record.

Great to have you here.

Thank you.

Thank you.

A great job.

We'll be right back.

As the Grand Valley State Sports report continues here.

Wg on this week's episode.

Joint Laker Athletics Molina.

Talent he know and a deep dive of everything.

GV issue with the Laker Lowdown.

Stay up to date on the most recent stories from special events to player profiles to facilities every other Monday at 2 minute video will be posted to both GB issue.

Lakers, Twitter and Instagram.

This week Molina sits down with 50 year women's basketball guard.

Emily Spitz Lee after making history for Grand Valley Athletics earlier this month.

>> Welcome to the Laker Lowdown where we take a deep dive into everything Grande Valley Athletics.

I'm your host Mina Tantino.

What better way to start the new year than by making history.

Earlier this month, women's basketball 5th year guard Emily Spitz Lee became the 27th Laker in program history to reach the 1000 point Mark in her career.

Not only this, but in the same game.

She reached a career-high.

31 points.

These accomplishments landed her the title Ugly Act player of the Week for the 3rd time while in her career you can find are dominating on the court as well as in the classroom.

And this past week, I got to catch up with Emily to see just how she does it.

So in grad school, it's like right now is less class going.

It's more disliked, studying, reading, homework, that kind of stuff.

So I've learned by yet due to tie really wisely.

So, you know, now we know why God, she won Missouri this week.

I'm planning on doing like one of my projects on the bus and then the motel on Friday.

So just being able to capitalize in time, they do have available as a warrant.

And that's something that's hard first, the freshman.

But as you are here longer and monitor it is here.

My questions was completely different person that I am.

Now, if I could tell her anything, I'm going to say sick with a it's a much better.

I know coach always says staying the course.

I think that way.

I went about my 5 years as an example of that.

I I would say I've seen Michael patients myself by it.

I don't know coming here like, well, my career look like an eye.

That's how I keep my head above water after since to be where I am now it is social thing back on and just see how much I've changed as a person and a player.

So I can thank so many people for that.

Just like coaches for sticking with me and my teammates or my back.

So it's a really special ride.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more episodes of the Laker Lowdown coming your way soon.

Until then, I'm willing to Don T know anchor out.

>> The Laker women's basketball team headed north for visits to northern Michigan and Michigan Tech last week.

Head coach Mike Williams joins me now to break down the results of those games for U.S. coach.

Welcome aboard.

Great Trip.

You know, get both.

But you nearly did.

>> Yeah, you know, you kind of going into it.

You you kind of looking okay, can we get a split up there and we get a split because it was really good teams.

You know, tech is a obviously in first place in the conference in Northern said that 3 losses thing sitting 3rd, 4003th place.

So, you know, that's that's what you want to do.

And then you get the games you beat northern northern in.

You're kind of right now, high little bit and prepare for tech on Friday and get a chance to play tech in the drop, a really close game.

Then you kind of you kind of have a are trusting him and we could have got to.

But I think of in the day to go up during a split, you know, it's not that we're happy with it.

But I think, you know, it worked out kind of probably the wages of.

>> O Grande Valley wins in the game against northern Michigan.

45 38 the final there.

Couple of things to kind of point to team Wise bench points.

Big advantage for Grand Valley.

24 2 in that category in points in the paint.

You basically double them in that pain and often northern's got a lot of size.

So nice work in there.

>> That we did a good job.

You know, penetrating getting downhill.

We've got some.

We've got some baskets on their way through in the black a little bit Rylie bisballe.

It scorched that she will more efficient down there that she had been.

We ran some, you know, Coach Helton some high, some high-low action.

We dumped on the block that way and post upper guards a little bit.

It got some baskets.

But again, it wasn't many as you saw because the score wasn't I, but but we did win that category.

And I think to like you said northern, they like to do the same thing.

They like to post up their post players rude and Jenny and and cone some of their guards.

And I thought our players did a great job taking that away from them.

And that was probably a more impressive with that with that aspect.

>> Outrebounding them by 10, 40 to 32, including a 13 offensive boards.

And Mike, you get 12 steals so really active defensively.

The scoring was spread around.

Like you guys typically do all we draw steely to attend.

But wow, active in there on the boards.

Tip ball steals got like that.

>> You know, again, it's not we play with Lenny Energy.

I felt really good.

And it's a it's a different place to play.

You play that married couple of our lungs were texting me on good old and you Grand Valley game up at northern just you know, one of them did say this, you know, current, he cut a texting, says, I don't.

I think it's a place they play.

I don't like playing there at big open ICE arena.

And ironically, they're going to play in the volleyball read the next year.

And so maybe that will change it.

But yeah, it was.

It was an old game with a lot of, you know, I thought Northern play really hard.

I thought we played hard and now we're, you know, to sustain an income.

All of that with the with the W. >> Yeah, that's right.

Sometimes you hear teams talk about that depth perception with a but your space behind the baskets like that.

Well, you get it done again.

The win over northern so on to attack, which is another hour and a half to 2 hours.

By the way, you get to go up and the QAnon peninsula, they get to.

57 56 here, Mike, at the buzzer.

You're saying you're this close to getting both games.

They're very difficult to be at home.

One of the best teams in the conference.

But you nearly did a couple of things.

Didn't go your way late.

>> You know, we we we are committed to stretches where we again.

He is a coach.

I look back and what did I do?

It not to prepare them.

And you guys you get you've got understand that you're you're running the show.

And, you know, we've been having some issues coming out that could play great.

The 1st half.

I thought we defended, you know it.

I thought we we made the shots.

You know, we didn't give them.

The are the free are shots that that we kept penetration.

We did a great job on that block that left and scored on their.

We came and got good.

Good things.

Offensively.

We hit shots of that.

We've got to the whim.

We didn't turn the ball over when we come that 3rd quarter.

And it hasn't been an issue with us.

We've been actually coming out and we just had a flat stretch.

We just and they want 9.10, 0 run that tied up.

And then again that I give our kids credit.

We battled back up by 10 again, you know, tax good.

They're solid team.

We're a solid team.

And then I thought down the stretch, we had some guy look back and Manuel with some defensive breakdowns and things that, you know, as a coach, I didn't I didn't do a good job getting ready for those those situations.

We do a better job when we play them next time and then again, without you know, we've had some good stuff and we had a nice taken got fall, have free throw coach children.

Nice little backdoor.

Play the coca mean they can attack or out of bounds.

And you know, she she had a free throw and in all and then and then down the stretch.

They they had their tough shot.

>> Yeah, they did.

Again, you had a great team stats in here to talk about the turnovers, only 9 in this game and you get 9 steals.

So that's always good.

When you have that total like that, they did get you on the boards a bit.

But again, you guys made twice as many free throws as they shot, which that's always a key stat to.

So you're right there the edge you go.

57, 56.

So for Grand Valley, just the second loss in 17 2 overall, even one now conference play and you're going to come back home Purdue northwest Thursday, not having the kind of season they would like right now.

But the Parkside on Saturday, Mike, 12 7.72, overall, 72 in the conference.

>> You know, if you look at prove proven scores and they lost in overtime to Park site on Saturday, they have their scores a close.

We look at 7 overtime, 3 overtime, 5, 7, you know, had northern had tech down there.

And so they are very, very they're the best.

I'm not sure what their record is going to get one when the count for the best one in 8 team in our conference by far.

And you know that it's it's it's going to be a game that they we were down there place.

I thought we did a great job, getting stops down the stretch to pull it out down there.

And yeah, and then you you talk about Parkside.

We came back to pull in overtime at their place.

They're playing really good.

I don't think they've got one or 2 losses are conference and they can really score last year player of the year.

Alyssa Nelson and, you know, might be this year again, who knows play really good basketball.

But it again, I think our conference this year, we said we don't have any, you know, separators the NE teams are, you know, in that top 5, the country.

But we've got a lot of really good teams.

And it's always going to be a battle on the home at home or on the road.

>> That's right.

So after the long trip, again, 2 games at home Thursday night and Saturday afternoon.

Mike, thank you.

Great job and keep going.

All right, Steve, thank you for that.

We'll be right back of the Grand Valley State Sports report continues here in WTVD TVs you track and field is looking strong as the indoor season continues to progress towards the postseason will highlight the throwers and jumpers that are getting it done so far this year.

Time Cleary has the story for us.

>> With less than 2 months until this year's indoor track and field national meet, there's plenty of talent on the track for jury ball just with scoring potential in Virginia Beach.

But if the Lakers content for national crowds in March, it might well be due to their strengths in field events.

Senior Judith S I is back in action after winning the way, throw and nationals last year and lead to stronger on the women's side, which includes outdoor specialist Emma Richards and all American and discuss in 2022. Who hopes for improvement indoors in the shot put this year.

>> Currently, I'm on the list that had a pretty rough first meet.

But that was kind of drive for me going into the break, time in over our finals week to really get those technical cues and really work h#*#*#* o#* that.

So I am ready to hit that mark this next meet.

>> Well, right now, especially since they already have the mark, I need we're kind of switching to getting stronger again in the weight room.

So that usually impacts the the length like the distance of throwing a little bit there.

So I'm more focusing on hitting really good positions right now while still trying to increase my strength.

>> Miles, Turner was 5th in the shot put last year in Kansas, scoring big in the men's national indoor win.

The Lakers have lost last year's 200 meter champion.

Brandon Miller was transferred to division one Kentucky but could replace or even surpass his point.

Total in the high jump with Jonathan Rankins.

James who is 4th last year behind teammate Eli Co Siba the runner-up and nationals and the top jumper right now in Division 2.

>> Just to the point where you've got to realize that we need not to be your best me at that, we just try to you just try to build up those things.

It's a long season.

One jumped in to find how you're going to the rest of the season.

So and those bad news to try to build off those.

But >> obviously you want to be our enemy.

That's the goal.

That's what we train for.

>> We're feeling really good.

Really excellent about close.

Even though that he's on.

He's pushing a Santa Claus and like you got to take everybody on and off, got to make sure you're eating well sleeping, right?

That's the most important.

>> And while Kuz Seba in Rankins, James might be the most likely on the men's side to reach the top step of the podium at the Nationals this year.

The Lakers are without hopes on the track where senior Taylor Cheddar returns after a 30 indoors.

And 22 in the 3,000 meters in Claudia O'Malley who is second there last season with a sub 5 Minute mile finish.

>> Sure.

We have 4 or 5 individuals in that boat.

And, you know, you lived Myles Turner, Judith O'Malley graver Tanner Chad.

So the great thing is that box is checked.

Now we can focus on step 2.

>> Well, spring sports like baseball and softball have to go south to compete in the early months of every season.

The Kelly Family Sports Center allows ball to squad to work at home indoors during the toughest weather months where they'll be every weekend until the Cle actually MP an ships and Saginaw in February.

And while the pitchers who work outside of the diamonds will be closely monitored until the warm weather arrives, the big arms on the track and field squads are cutting loose with all they've got right now.

The Grand Valley State sports report.

I'm town.

>> Well, that's all the time that we have this week here in the Grand Valley State Sports report.

Issue men's and women's basketball will return home for a series of games this week in Allendale on Thursday, the Lakers will take on Purdue Northwest the Jea Issue Fieldhouse Arena.

Tipoff for the women is scheduled for 06:00PM followed by the men at 08:00PM and the host Parkside on Saturday for Alumni Day.

The women's game will start at 01:00PM followed by the man at 3 TVs.

You indoor track and field will host the Bill Clinger Classic on Friday and Saturday in the Kelly Family Sports Center.

The meat is scheduled for 10:00AM on Friday and 09:00AM on Saturday.

TV issue swimming and diving will host Wayne State on Saturday.

January 28th.

We'll take on the Warriors in the judicial pool at 01:00PM for upcoming games as well as live broadcast of every Laker athletic program is a G issue.

Lakers dot com.

More of the show head over to our YouTube channel at YouTube Dot Com Slash W Gbu.

35 make sure you hit the subscribe button to get our updated videos and highlights all year long for the entire crew here.

Wgu I'm Steve Lloyd-Jones have a great week Laker Nation and as always bankrupt