No. 1 Grand Valley State University’s women’s basketball team (34-1) continued its dominant NCAA Tournament run with wins over No. 8 Carson-Newman University (24-11) and No. 5 University of Alabama in Huntsville (32-6) in the Elite Eight and Final Four at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.
Behind strong perimeter shooting, defensive pressure and experienced leadership, the Lakers controlled both matchups in different ways. With an explosive offensive performance last Tuesday against Carson-Newman and a disciplined defensive effort against Alabama Huntsville Thursday, the Lakers advanced in their pursuit of repeating as national champions.
Against Carson-Newman, redshirt senior forward Paige VanStee opened the scoring with a layup to give GVSU a 2-0 lead. After the game was tied 2-2, redshirt senior guard Molly Anderson answered with a 3-pointer, assisted by sophomore forward MacKenzie Bisballe, to make it 5-2.
Moments later, Anderson connected from beyond the arc, this time assisted by redshirt-senior guard Lexi Plitzuweit. Senior guard Avery Zeinstra followed with another 3-pointer, assisted by redshirt-senior guard Nicole Kamin, pushing the Lakers’ lead to an early 11-2.
The Lakers continued their early surge later in the quarter. Kamin buried a 3-pointer, assisted by Plitzuweit, extending the lead to 18-5. Kamin added another 3-pointer, again assisted by Plitzuweit. Shortly after, Bisballe followed with a 3-pointer assisted by freshman guard Anayya Davis to stretch the lead to 28-7.
GVSU closed the quarter with a commanding 32-8 advantage.
Kamin credited the team’s preparation for its fast start.
“It’s been a long week of practice,” Kamin said. “We responded pretty well to get out there and play. Shots were falling for us pretty early, so that was nice, and (we) stayed aggressive the entire game.”
The momentum continued into the second quarter. Kamin knocked down another 3-pointer, this time assisted by redshirt-sophomore Ava Scanlon. VanStee later added a 3-pointer, assisted by Zeinstra, as GVSU entered halftime leading 55-23.
Scanlon reflected on playing on the national stage following the strong first-half performance.
“It’s amazing,” Scanlon said. “It’s great to play with this group of girls. I’m super blessed to be here, and I was ready to get out there and help my team.”
The Lakers maintained control in the third quarter. Zeinstra added another 3-pointer, assisted by Anderson. Carson-Newman scored just before the buzzer, but GVSU still entered the fourth quarter ahead by 37.
GVSU continued its dominance in the final quarter, extending the lead to 49 points with 1:47 remaining before securing a 96-48 victory.
Kamin and Scanlon each finished with 16 points to lead the Lakers offensively, with Kamin making eight 3-pointers.
Head coach Mike Williams, who was awarded the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Division II Coach of the Year Award following the game, said the team’s previous experience helped their composure.
“This team doesn’t feel the pressure for some reason,” Williams said. “That’s probably because of that senior group, but there is no question (that) playing on this floor like we did three times last year was an advantage.”
The Lakers carried that momentum into their matchup with Alabama Huntsville, though the game unfolded very differently.
Bisballe opened scoring with a layup to give GVSU a 2-0 lead before the Chargers answered with a jumper to tie the game. In a back-and-forth first quarter, the Lakers relied on interior scoring from Kamin and VanStee. GVSU converted both of its free throws in the opening quarter and remained locked in a defensive battle early.
Freshman guard Avery Lay opened the second quarter with a layup to give the Lakers a 16-13 lead. VanStee added another layup late in the quarter to push the advantage to seven points, sending GVSU into halftime leading 29-22.
The Lakers expanded their lead in the third quarter. Bisballe opened the half with a layup to make it 31-22. Kamin later ended a 3-point scoring drought with a 3-pointer assisted by Bisballe to push the lead to 36-26 with 6:37 remaining.
VanStee added another layup before the end of the quarter as GVSU entered the fourth leading 47-33.
VanStee acknowledged her growth in shooting from beyond the arc this season.
“I have developed into that role a little bit more this year — getting a little bit more comfortable behind the arc,” VanStee said.
The Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter. Anderson connected on a 3-pointer assisted by Plitzuweit to extend the lead to 53-35 with 8:02 remaining. VanStee later scored on a layup to give GVSU its largest lead of the game at 61-37.
The Lakers secured the win and advanced to the national championship, continuing their postseason run.
