SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - The Lawrence Technological University men's basketball team opened its 2026–27 campaign in emphatic fashion Friday evening, pouring on a 51-point second-half outburst to steamroll East-West University 88–61 at the Don Ridler Fieldhouse. After taking a 37–30 advantage into halftime, the Blue Devils broke the game wide open following the break by utilizing a relentless defense, commanding the glass with a 54–25 rebound advantage, and capitalizing on deep bench rotation. LTU maintained control throughout the night, leading for over 36 minutes of game action and expanding its lead to as many as 33 points in the closing minutes.
Karem Sariaslan paced the offense with a team-high 16 points—knocking down three 3-pointers and shooting 5-for-6 from the free-throw line—while adding 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Relja Nagulic turned in a near double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds, while Vuk Zarubica made his presence felt on both ends of the floor by tallying 14 points, 9 rebounds, and a game-high 3 steals. Off the bench, Jovan Jovanovic provided a major spark by hitting three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points and 8 rebounds, while Alberto Morati chipped in 9 points and Lake McIntosh dished out a team-best 3 assists. LTU's reserves outscored East-West's bench 31–14, overriding 14-point performances from the Phantoms' Malik Bates and George Stewart.
With a 1–0 record to start the season, Lawrence Tech now turns its attention to the Bernie Holowicki Classic on Thursday, November 6th. The Blue Devils will square off against Marian University in a tournament matchup hosted at Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan.
