GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Davenport men's basketball team (14-14, 8-12 GLIAC) secured a 79-64 victory over Ferris State (10-17, 7-13 GLIAC) at the DU Student Center on Saturday in the regular-season finale. The game was tied at halftime (37-37), but Davenport pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Bulldogs 42-27. Davenport's defense was pivotal, forcing 25 turnovers and converting them into 33 points. The Panthers secured a spot in the upcoming GLIAC Tournament for the first time in three seasons.
Curtis Jackson made history as the first Panther to record a triple-double in the victory.
Davenport opened the first half strongly, scoring efficiently in the paint and capitalizing on fast breaks. Jackson led the charge with a series of key plays, including a 3-pointer at 13:11 for an 11-9 lead and a fast break layup at 5:28, which helped maintain momentum with a lead of 26-24. DU's biggest lead of the half was 22-15 after an
Imran Deen hook shot.
The half closed as
Ken Walker sank two free throws at the 15-second mark to give Davenport a slight edge. However, FSU managed a last-second tip-in by Mykel Bingham to level the score at 37–37 as the half concluded.
Davenport capitalized on the Bulldogs' turnovers early in the second half, with Davenport surging ahead 49-42 in the first 4:06 capped off by Walker making a triple to up his game total to 13 points. The Panthers increased their lead to 60-52 after
Alden Ritt's dunk on the fast break came with 8:59 remaining.
In the final minutes, Ferris State trimmed the deficit from 12 to 5 at 64-59 with 7:01 to play.
Dylan Smith had a three-point play to extend the lead to 69-59 with 4:52 on the clock. The Panthers maintained a double-digit lead late in the game as Jackson made a pair of free throws and Walker made a three-pointer.
Curtis Jackson scored 21 points, recorded 10 assists, and collected 12 rebounds to secure a triple-double performance.
Ken Walker added 19 points, including three 3-pointers, and converted six of seven free throws.
Dylan Smith contributed 12 points, making eight free throws, and registered two steals.
Alden Ritt finished with eight points, tallied two steals, and collected seven rebounds.
Game Notes:
- Jackson had the first triple-double in DU history. He is the first from the GLIAC and 13th player in Division II this season.
- Jackson had a career-high 12 rebounds and tied a career high with four steals.
- Jackson had 10 or more assists in a game for the fourth time this season.
- DU snapped a seven-game losing skid against FSU.
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Imran Deen scored in double figures for the fourth time this season.
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Dylan Smith had 10 or more points in a game for the 13th time this season.
- DU outscored the Bulldogs 33-5 in points off turnovers.
- FSU had more rebounds (56) than any other opponent against DU this season.
In their next game, Davenport will travel to face Michigan Tech on Wednesday, March 4. The GLIAC quarterfinal matchup is set for 5:30 p.m. in Houghton, Mich. The teams split during the regular season with each winning on their home court.
