Box Score
BIG RAPIDS, Mich. -- Alek West (Sylvania, Ohio) poured in a career-high 25 points but a late scoring spurt from Ferris State led the Bulldogs to an 83-76 home victory over the Ohio Dominican men's basketball team during the 2021-22 season opener on Friday evening.
West, manning the lead guard role for ODU, fell one assist shy of registering a triple-double, adding 10 rebounds and nine assists with his game-high scoring total. With the 10 rebounds though, West picked up his first collegiate double-double.
Three additional Panthers finished in double figures, including Zach Szul (Waterville, Ohio) with 13 points. Szul added six rebounds and was 6-for-7 at the charity stripe.
A pair of fresh faces making their collegiate debuts, Marcus Johnson (Columbus, Ohio) and Max Stepaniak (Ross, Ohio), collected 14 and 10 points off the bench, respectively. ODU finished with 32 bench points in the first game of the new campaign.
The Panthers enjoyed the advantage early on, as a Stepaniak layup gave ODU a 13-11 lead seven minutes into the action. Ferris State though, responded with an 11-0 run to capture a 22-13 lead.
The Bulldogs led by nine points twice in the first half, but a strong finish by the Black & Gold cut their deficit to 46-41 at the intermission. Mike Knoll (Medina, Ohio) was key in the first half comeback, netting a pair of three pointers en route to eight points over the opening 20 minutes.
Ferris State, less than five years removed from a national championship, shot over 50 percent in the first half and continued its efficient ways in the second half. The Bulldogs scored the first six points of the second half to extend their advantage to double figures.
Despite trailing by as many as 17 points with 10:28 remaining, ODU rallied late, and a Stepaniak fadeaway jumper as the shot clock expired gave the Panthers a 74-73 lead with 3:01 to play. The jumper gave ODU its first lead since the 13-11 advantage in the first half.
Ferris State however, answered with a jump shot on the next possession and closed the game on a 10-2 run to escape with the 83-76 victory.
Ohio Dominican will look to bounce back quickly, as the Panthers will stay on the campus of Ferris State to take on Drury at 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 13.
jestert@ohiodominican.edu
