The Grand Valley State University women’s basketball team secured a 62-50 win against Ashland University in the Midwest Regional Championship on Monday, March 17, and is advancing into the Elite Eight.
The home game naturally brought pressure of its own, however, with over a thousand spectators in the stands, the energy was palpable. Redshirt senior Rylie Bisballe remarked that the stands “were packed.”
Both teams took a few minutes to settle in. In the first quarter’s five minutes, both universities each made a field goal. The other half of this quarter saw back-and-forth shot-making. GVSU went on a seven-to-three scoring run before the end of the opening quarter. This resulted in the University having an 11-9 lead at the close of the quarter.
The second quarter was the Lakers’ highest scoring quarter of the game. GVSU really started to show off their strength and size in this quarter. Eight of the Lakers’ baskets came from inside the paint. Only two points came from outside the paint, with the basket having been thrown at the free throw line. Not only that, GVSU was scoring extremely efficiently. To go along with the highest scoring quarter, the Lakers shot 47% from the field. The Lakers held a double-digit lead multiple times in the second quarter. However, just before halftime, Ashland was able to go on a quick, 4-0 run. Despite this run, GVSU still led at the break. The scoreboard read 29-26.
Coming out of the half, GVSU’s rhythm on the offensive side of the ball continued. The Lakers were consistently able to keep Ashland at a comfortable distance. After the dominant second quarter, Ashland started to get more aggressive with their defense in the paint. This led to more free-throw attempts than the first two quarters combined for the Lakers. GVSU went to the charity stripe six times, and knocked all six down.
The Lakers had another good scoring quarter in the third, largely led by redshirt junior guard Paige Vanstee. Out of the Lakers’ 17 points in the third quarter, Vanstee scored eight points.
Toward the end, Ashland began to chip away at GVSU’s lead. The closing quarter saw the game get as close as five points. However, the Lakers were able to extend the lead right back to double digits. GVSU beat Ashland 62-50, and advanced to the Elite Eight.
The Lakers’ depth played a huge factor in this ball game. The University boasted five players in double figures, while on the other hand, Ashland only had one player.
“It (the game) was a really fun atmosphere to play in,” Bisballe said.
Redshirt junior Nicole Kamin agreed, adding that the ball game was nothing like she’s seen this season.
“The environment was great (and) the fans were awesome,” Kamin said.
The road to the championship title won’t get any easier for GVSU. Up next, the Lakers will travel to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, the Lakers will battle with the eighth-ranked Gannon University for a spot in the Final Four. These two programs don’t play each other often. The last time GVSU and Gannon faced off was a decade ago, in 2015– the same year that Mike Williams started coaching the Lakers.
The matchup will take place on Monday, March 24, and the tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.
