For the Grand Valley State women’s basketball team, domination has been the name of the game at Fieldhouse Arena.

After starting 7-0 this season, GVSU hit a rough patch, losing three straight games on the road. The momentum shifted as the team returned home for a game against Walsh on Thursday.

GVSU coach Janel Burgess, now in her eighth season coaching the team, said it came down to defense against the Cavaliers. Rebounds and defensive stops coupled with communication and teamwork to end the losing streak at three games.

“Success breeds success,” Burgess said. “Our overall focus is working on both sides collectively and having a sense of urgency.”

The win wasn’t easy for the Lakers. GVSU was only up by four until the final 45 seconds when Walsh scored, trimming GVSU’s lead in half. With 14 seconds left, GVSU junior Brionna Barnett sank a clean jumper and put away two free throws to clinch the 72-66 win.

“I knew I had to play aggressive and trust in myself and my teammates,” Barnett said.

Having broken the streak, sophomore Kayla Dawson echoed Barnett’s sentiments about relying on one another. Dawson said the win against Walsh helped bolster their resolve going into Saturday’s game against Malone.

“After three losses getting that one in the boat was a great confidence boost,” Dawson said.

The Lakers had their groove back, and it carried over against the Pioneers.

After combining for 27 points against Walsh, Dawson and Barnett topped off the two-game stretch with 20 and 16 points against Malone, respectively. Sophomores Taylor Lutz and Piper Tucker and junior Jammie Botruff also heavily contributed with offense and multiple steals.

“We want to make a statement in the conference,” Barnett said. “We need to step on the gas and not let up.”

GVSU has bumped up their record to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in GLIAC. The Lakers are 8-0 when holding opponents to less than 70 points, and 9-0 when leading at the 2:00 mark.

For Burgess, it all starts with teamwork.

“Team chemistry is extremely important,” Burgess said. “Effort and energy helps start up our defense which leads to a good offense”.

With a spring in their step, the Lakers will be gearing up to face Northern Michigan on Jan. 15 and Michigan Tech on Jan. 17.