CHICAGO – Roosevelt struggled to find the bottom of the rim from beyond the arc in the second half of a 73-55 loss to No. 14 Michigan Tech on Thursday night in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener at the Goodman Center.

The Lakers (0-5, 0-1 GLIAC) made just 3 of 13 from 3-point range in the second half and struggled to find that offensive spark to jumpstart a comeback. Roosevelt trailed by double digits for the entire second half despite several times having looks to put the pressure on the Huskies by making a basket. The hosts shot less than 29 percent from the field in the second half after making nearly 43 percent of its shots in the first half.

After conceding the opening tip per usual, Roosevelt locked in on defense and forced a tough 3-point attempt at the end of the shot clock. Davon Smith-Johnson finished off a crisp first possession with a triple of his own, and the Lakers were ready for the battle. They held Michigan Tech to just 34.4 percent from the field in the first half and just 36.5 percent in the game, the second-lowest total of the season for the Huskies.

The inspired defensive effort was overshadowed by uncharacteristic sloppy play with the ball on offense. Roosevelt committed 11 first-half turnovers, which led to 13 points for the Huskies, despite having no more than 13 turnovers in a game entering Thursday. The Lakers turned the ball over just four times in the second half, which gave them chances to trim the deficit with looks from the perimeter.

Kaleim Taylor was the offensive star for the Lakers after starting the game aggressive and never relenting. He finished with 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting and made his way to the line for five free throws, sinking them all. Mikey West added 13 points in his season debut, 10 of which came in the second half as he also attacked the rim more and made four free throws. Smith-Johnson finished with 11 points and five boards, making 3 of 4 from behind the arc in the game.

Griffin Yaklich led the Lakers with seven rebounds, but it was a struggle on the glass all night. The Huskies scored 20 second-chance points off 15 offensive rebounds as Michigan Tech held a 41-29 edge in rebounding. West also had five rebounds, including the only offensive rebound not recorded as a team rebound for going out of bounds.

UP NEXT: Roosevelt's quest for its first win of the season continues Saturday at the Goodman Center when Northern Michigan comes to town for a 3 p.m. tipoff.