Holland Reporter

The Grand Valley State men's basketball team faced a challenging start to their 2024-25 season, losing an exhibition game to Toledo with a final score of 76-71. The match took place on Saturday afternoon in Toledo, Ohio. Following this game, the Lakers are set to play another exhibition against Nebraska next Sunday at 2:00 PM ET.

William Dunn emerged as the leading scorer for the Lakers, contributing 13 points on 4-11 shooting from the field, including three successful three-pointers and five rebounds. Jalen Charity added 11 points with efficient shooting, hitting four out of six shots and making both attempts from beyond the arc. Mason Docks provided a solid performance with ten points and led the team with four assists. Kaden Brown contributed eight points, sinking two triples and providing two assists.

During the first half of the game, Grand Valley State found themselves trailing by as much as 12 points but managed to reduce the deficit to eight by halftime thanks to a determined effort by Docks. In the second half, they fell behind by as many as 17 points but rallied back impressively to cut Toledo's lead down to just two points with over three minutes remaining in regulation.

Statistically, GVSU shot 40% from the field and demonstrated proficiency from long range with a 42% success rate on three-point attempts, making eleven in total. Meanwhile, Toledo shot at a higher overall percentage of 48% from the field but struggled from three-point distance at just 20%. However, they capitalized on free throws with a substantial number of attempts (26-37). The Lakers excelled in rebounding, outrebounding Toledo 39-31 and securing twelve offensive boards compared to Toledo's seven.