Ferris’ Peter Firlik is having a strong senior season. (Pioneer file photo)
BIG RAPIDS – Perter Firlik is a senior starting guard for Ferris, who has seen plenty of excellent college basketball teams in his career.
He’s hoping this could be the best.
Firlik and the Bulldogs play Northern Michigan University on Saturday at 1 p.m. in another Great Lakes Conference contest. The Bulldogs are 7-1 in the league and 17-1 overall and ranked No. 7 in the country.
“The key has been our depth and how deep we are,” Firlik said. “Our one through 13 players are all so talented that they could all start on another team. We come here to sacrifice and have the best team in the conference.”
The former Grand Rapids Catholic Central standout is averaging 8.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 18 contests. She is shooting 53.5 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from the 3-point area. He is shooting 82.1 percent in free throws.
“I’m playing pretty well,” he said. “I could get a lot better in a lot of aspects.”
Defense has been Firlik’s strength.
“It’s been on ball defense,” he said. “I usually guard the other team’s best player and I feel I’ve been doing a good job. I’ve been looking to get my 3-point shot better so we can space the floor better.”
He played in 33 games in 2015-16 at Ferris State and was a member of NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen team . He helped the Bulldogs capture the GLIAC Tournament Championship and averaged 5.3 points per game in his initial season at FSU.
Prior to FSU, the 6-4 Firlik competed for Owens Community College in Toledo and averaged 10 points and four rebounds a game while earning All-Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) honors for the Express, where he was guided by a pair of FSU basketball alums in head coach David Clarke and assistant coach Dennis Springs. Firlik helped lead Owens to a 25-7 overall record and conference title with 55 three-pointers made following a highly-successful prep career under head coach TJ Meerman at Catholic Central.
He averaged 17.4 points per game his senior season and was a two-time first team All-Ottawa Kent Gold Conference performer and all-state recipient.
Firlik and Ferris will host Northern Michigan 1 p.m. today.
“We need to stay hungry,” he said. “We can’t let up on the gas. Our effort got better (Thursday) in the first half. It hasn’t been that way in the past. It needs to get better in the first half.”
