Lakers Win Big in Final Tune Up Before Conference Play

Mt Pleasant, MI - It had been 18 days since the Mid Michigan Lakers men's basketball team last took the floor in game action, a 22-point win over Jackson College. If there was any rust to shake off in their first contest since, it certainly didn't show.

Mid Michigan connected on its first five shots of the night and never looked back, rolling past visiting Alma College, 130–60, to improve to 10–4 on the season.

"It was a really clean game, and we got what we wanted out of this one," said head coach Kaleb House. "Hopefully we can carry some positive vibes and energy into the conference schedule."

In their final tune-up before conference play, the Lakers exploded out of the gate. Christian Zielinski opened the scoring with a three, then went coast-to-coast following a steal for a quick 5–0 lead. An elbow jumper by Zach Parks made it 7–0, and the advantage quickly ballooned to 13–0 after Vynce Overshown knocked down back-to-back three-pointers.

By the time Alma College got on the board, Mid Michigan had built a 15–0 cushion. At the first media timeout, the Lakers were firmly in control, leading 23–5. The lead continued to grow, reaching 41–12 at the midway point of the first half before expanding to 60–27 by halftime.

Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly erased as Mid Michigan continued to pour it on in the second half, cruising to a decisive 130–60 victory.

Zielinski turned in a flawless offensive performance, going a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor, including 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, to lead all scorers with 24 points. Amonti Green added 16 points and eight assists, while Overshown finished with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting, connecting on five three-pointers. Parks contributed 22 points and five rebounds, and Jaden Clark posted a strong all-around effort with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists.

The Lakers will open MCCAA North Conference play Saturday on the road at North Central College in Petoskey.

"Any time you're playing on the road in the conference, it's a tough battle," House said. "Conference play is always a grind, but we're excited about where we're at. We took care of what we needed to in the classroom this past semester, and the guys are excited to get into conference play over the next month and a half."

House also emphasized the importance of home support as the program plays its final season at Morey Courts.

"We're hoping to get good crowds out here with high energy in the gym as we send Morey off in its final year as our home court," he said.

Construction is currently underway on the Mid Michigan College campus for a new event center and arena, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.