Grand Valley State University’s women’s basketball team started a four-game road trip on Thursday, Jan. 9. The opening game of this trip was against none other than the Ferris State Bulldogs. The Lakers dominated in all four quarters of the game and walked out of Big Rapids with an 83-61 win.
There was a lot of excitement going into this matchup, as both teams were undefeated in GLIAC play. The fact that the game was against GVSU’s number one rival only added fuel to the fire.
“It’s always fun going up to Ferris and playing in their gym,” said redshirt junior Nicole Kamin. “That environment is always competitive.”
The opening quarter was the closest the game would be. Both teams were feeling the other out and trying to get a sense of how the game was going to transpire. However, after most of the first quarter was closely battled, GVSU closed out the quarter with a seven to zero run. The run was capped off by a steal and transition bucket by Kamin. This gave the Lakers an eight-point lead going into the second quarter.
Ferris opened the second quarter’s scoring with a made free throw, which cut the Lakers’ lead to seven. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this was the closest the score would be for the rest of the game. GVSU outscored Ferris 15-11 in the second quarter, and went into halftime up by 12 points. Kamin was the leading scorer with nine points.
“In the first half, I was focusing on doing the little things and staying aggressive on the offensive side,” Kamin said.
If there is one thing about teams coached by Mike Williams, they seem to weather the storm. Opposing teams often give their best shot early, but once the Lakers settle into their defensive identity, it’s almost as if the court shrinks as a result of GVSU taking complete control.
Senior Abrie Cabana drilled a 3-pointer directly out of the break. This sparked a 12-four run by the Lakers, and set the tone for the entire second half.
The Lakers also boasted a very strong performance from MacKenzie Bisballe in the second half. She provided seven points and five rebounds to her squad after the break, and three of her offensive rebounds led to second-chance baskets.
It was clear that GVSU’s defense was disrupting anything the Bulldogs attempted to set up. At one point in the third quarter, Ferris State went three whole minutes without logging a single point.
The Lakers continued this defensive performance for the remainder of the second half. The team also got a huge boost from redshirt senior Rylie Bisballe on the other end of the floor, who scored 11 points in the second half. In the same way that Kamin was the first half’s star, Rylie Bisballe was the star of the second.
“Coming out of the half, we knew as a team we couldn’t let up,” said Rylie Bisballe. “My teammates were able to find me and I just had to have the confidence to score.”
The fourth quarter did not provide enough time for the Bulldogs to make a comeback. Anytime Ferris was able to get the deficit under 20, the Lakers responded with very productive possessions on offense. The Bulldogs did not lead for a single second of the game.
GVSU secured the win by 22 points, with the final score being 83-61. After this win, the Lakers improved to 15-1 on the season, and remain undefeated in GLIAC play.
