The Lakers began their championship journey on Monday, March 24 by competing in the NCAA Elite Eight against Gannon University. This was the third time in the last 10 seasons that the Lakers competed in the Elite Eight, and the third time advancing to the Final Four after defeating Gannon, 60-32. With a day’s rest, the Lakers took the Final Four win, 68-61, against Pittsburgh State on Wednesday, March 26 after a hard-fought, nail-biting match up. 

After spending time in Pittsburgh adapting to the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse court, the Lakers found themselves in the final championship game against California State University, Dominguez Hills. In support of the big game, Laker Nation took over the fieldhouse, as GVSU supplied transportation for students, the marching band, cheerleaders and family. Additionally, other University athletic groups, such as the football and women’s volleyball teams, shared various posts of support and encouragement on Instagram.

“The support (from Laker Nation) has been like no other, and they truly love being there to support us,” said redshirt senior guard Ellie Droste. “Having them at the game on Friday was a game changer. I truly think they shifted the momentum of that game and were able to get in the other team’s head a bit.” 

By 7 p.m. on Friday, reality was setting in. Despite the Lakers’ 38-2 record this year, which is also the most single season wins in program history, the championship game was the ultimate test. 

The Lakers and Toros met at center court for the first time with high anticipation. Redshirt senior forward Rylie Bisballe produced the first two points of the game with a strong layup in the paint. In retaliation, the Toros went on a seven-point streak just four minutes into play. The Lakers settled into the play style and reciprocated a seven-point run, five of which were from Droste, putting the Lakers in the lead, 9-7. With less than three minutes left in the first quarter, the score was tied 11 all, until the Lakers pushed a late, 6-1 run, ending the quarter 17-12. 

Entering the second quarter, the Lakers capitalized on the first quarter’s late momentum by going on a 9-1 hot streak. In that run, the Toros made three turnovers and two missed plays, allowing the Lakers to maximize their control. The score gap reached a high of 19 points at 38-19. With a minute to play, the Toros made the last bucket of the first half, leaving the score 38-21. 

In a highly anticipated game, the Lakers were composed and used the pressure to their advantage. 

“This championship game was an accumulation of four years of preparation, and our coaches did a really good job of preparing us this season by playing many nationally ranked teams,” said senior guard Abrie Cabana. “We knew we were prepared and capable of winning. We just went out and treated it (the game) like every other game.” 

Coming out of the half, the Lakers’ rhythm on the offensive side of the ball continued, as they went on another 9-0 run. Six of the nine points were three-pointers produced by redshirt junior guard Molly Anderson and freshman guard MacKenzie Bisballe. The Toros were determined to stay in the game by pressuring the offensive zone, going on a 17-6 run and only trailing 53-38 at the end of the third quarter. 

In the first five minutes of play, the Toros were able to close the gap to 12 points. Each team made strategic substitutions, and GVSU demonstrated the whole team’s strength. Droste feels the student-athlete’s depth this season has impacted their successes.

“I think our experience and depth has made this team so different from previous seasons,” said Droste. “We have people coming off the bench that can pick up right where the previous people left off.” 

In a team effort, the Lakers fought to maintain their lead, but the Toros wouldn’t back down. The Toros went on a 13-6 run to get within 10 points of the Lakers, but it wasn’t enough. Droste and Cabana were tested at the free-throw line, and both sunk two each to ice the game away with a final score of 70-58. 

As the final buzzer released, confetti decorated the floor, and the crowd roared. Upon hearing the buzzer, Cabana said she felt a variety of emotions all at once.

“Honestly, I was feeling all of the different emotions,” said Cabana. “I felt proud, grateful, fulfilled, overwhelmed, and it was definitely bittersweet.” 

On top of the Lakers’ main win, they earned many titles and career highs. Rylie Bisballe received Tournament MVP and scored 13 points with three assists and three steals. MacKenzie Bisballe earned All-Tournament Team honors with a team-high of 14 points, two blocks and two steals. Redshirt junior guard Nicole Kamin was named to the All-Tournament Team with six boards, three assists, three points, and two steals. 

The Lakers’ five seniors Rylie Bisballe, Hadley Miller, Droste, Cabana, and Kathryn Schmidt will end their careers with 145 wins, which is the most of any graduating class. The seniors have accomplished four regular season GLIAC titles, three GLIAC tournament titles, two Midwest Regional Championships and now a National Championship title.

As a senior, Cabana touched on what winning a national championship means to her. 

“It (winning the NCAA National Championship) definitely means everything,” Cabana said. “I know this is a dream come true for all of us. It honestly feels so surreal, but at the same time, makes so much sense because of all the hard work and dedication we have each put in.” 

Reflecting on her career, Droste commented on what she would say to her freshman self. 

“I would just say how lucky I am to have been recruited by such a great program,” Droste said. “(I would also say) to soak up every minute because it will fly by.”

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.

In the weeks leading up to the tournament, GVSU was moving with an upward trajectory. The Lakers had ended their regular season on a three-game win streak, dismantling Roosevelt University in their final regular season game.

In an interview posted on YouTube by GVSU Athletics, men’s basketball head coach Cornell Mann noted that energy was high during the practices that led up to the tournament. Mann attributed the team’s positive spirits to the time of the year, as March is hugely relevant to basketball generally.

“It’s a good time of year, but a fun time (as well),” said Mann.

GVSU went into the GLIAC Tournament with a 12-8 conference record. With this record, they landed in the fifth seed and were matched up with the Northern Michigan Wildcats, the fourth seed. The Lakers played NMU twice in the regular season and lost both times. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the most recent matchup against the Wildcats was not much different.

The Lakers started the quarterfinal round a bit slow. The production on the offensive side of the ball was lackluster for GVSU through the opening 10 minutes. The Lakers only scored three made field goals, and found themselves down by 11 points with just 12 minutes left in the half.

The Wildcats continued to pressure the Lakers, as the scoring deficit reached 20 points toward the end of the first half. However, all was not lost for the Lakers. GVSU was able to string together a few solid possessions before the close of the half. After redshirt sophomore Charles Turner drilled a 3-pointer with under a minute to go, GVSU went into the break down by 17.

NMU’s scoring stamina carried over into the second half, as the Lakers never seemed to find their rhythm until it was too late. GVSU trailed by double digits the entire second half; the closest they were able to cut the Wildcats’ lead down to was 13 points. In the end, the Lakers fell to NMU with a final score of 85-72. GVSU concluded its season with a 16-13 overall record, and was also 12-8 in conference play. NMU went on to win the GLIAC Tournament.

Even though the Lakers’ record for the season was not the best, there were still major accomplishments among the team’s members. GVSU had five players make All-GLIAC teams.

GVSU sophomore Kaden Brown led the way with an All-GLIAC first team selection. Brown also won Sixth Man of the Year, marking the first time a Laker has ever won this award. While Brown was GVSU’s leading scorer for the season, he’s emphasized the importance of collaboration among the team. Throughout the season, Brown has vocally praised his teammates for the impact they have on his game. He noted that his teammates’ support brings his confidence to “another level.”

Senior William Dunn and junior Jalen Charity were both selected for All-GLIAC second team. The team also saw redshirt junior Trevor Smith Jr. and redshirt sophomore Shamus Thompson make the All-GLIAC defensive team. 

On Thursday, the Lakers took to their home court against the Warriors in matching pink sneakers and socks to commemorate their annual PINK Game to support cancer research efforts. As soon as the clock started, GVSU got the jump on the Warriors with Laker Kathryn Schmidt bolting into the paint and sinking a layup for the Lakers. GVSU continued to score two more back-to-back layups, taking an early 6-0 lead against WSU. The Warriors retaliated with a 3-pointer from Alyssa Leister. However, the Lakers refused to give up control and matched the Warriors with another 3-pointer by Abrie Cabana.

Throughout the duration of the game’s first quarter, the Warriors played catch-up with the Lakers. Whenever WSU got close to tying, GVSU doubled down offensively, closing the door on the Warriors. By the end of the quarter, GVSU was up by five points, 27-22.

Only three seconds into the second quarter, Rylie Bisballe was already to the net with a layup for the Lakers. Just moments later, Rylie Bisballe was back in the paint, driving another one into the basket. Six minutes in, Cabana sank a 3-pointer, marking a 13-point lead for the Lakers. WSU began to gain some momentum, as Gabi Lutchka drilled a 3-pointer for the Warriors, which was followed by a layup and another 3-pointer. 

Just as the Warriors began to catch up, the Lakers were awarded free throws, cutting their momentum short. With Ellie Droste behind the line for the Lakers, she was off the mark for the first. Quickly regaining her composure, she calmly sank the second with ease. Following Droste’s free throw, Cabana wasted no time getting to the basket, leaving WSU’s defense scrambling as she made a fast-break layup. By the end of the quarter, GVSU managed to keep a tight hold on their lead with a 46-39 score.

Coming back from halftime, the Lakers dominated the third quarter. Schmidt set the quarter’s tone, making a 3-pointer with pinpoint accuracy. GVSU kept their momentum going through the quarter, with MacKenzie Bisballe slicing through WSU’s defense to sink a layup, bringing the Lakers’ lead to 10 points. The Lakers closed out the quarter with a 16-point lead and a score of 67-51.

In the final quarter, the Lakers were unstoppable. Starting off the quarter, the Warriors fouled the Lakers, awarding GVSU free throws. Once again, Droste was back behind the line. This time, she made both shots with ease. WSU fought hard to bridge the gap, cutting GVSU’s lead to 11 points. However, the Lakers refused to let up, and closed the door on the Warriors. With a minute and a half left on the clock, MacKenzie Bisballe made a layup, bringing the Lakers to a 21-point lead. Refusing to give up without a fight, Lutchka drilled a 3-pointer from downtown, bringing GVSU’s lead down to 18, and closing out the game, 85-67. 

The Lakers’ victory over WSU secured them the GLIAC regular season championship title and earned them the number one title in their seed. Following their victory against the Warriors, the Lakers faced off against SVSU on Saturday in the Battle of the Valleys.

The Lakers started strong against the Cardinals with an early nine-point lead. From there, the Lakers were able to stretch their lead to 14 points from a 3-pointer and layup by Droste and Paige Vanstee. Both teams continued to fight for momentum until the end of the quarter. GVSU led by 12 points, heading into the second with the score of 24-12.

The Cardinals started off the second quarter with renewed vigor. Scoring seven consecutive points from the start, the Cardinals were able to slice the Lakers’ lead down to five points. The Lakers quickly regained control of the quarter with a layup and two, back-to-back free throws, bringing their lead down to 10 points. By the end of the quarter, the Lakers were up 15 points, 42-27.

After halftime, the Lakers left the Cardinals in the dust with a commanding 29-point lead by the end of the quarter.

GVSU continued to apply pressure onto the Cardinals’ defense, leaving them scrambling to catch up. Molly Anderson barreled a quick 3-pointer into the basket from downtown, bringing the score to 51-27. With one minute left on the clock, the Lakers were able to dish out two more 3-pointers from Cabana and Droste, finishing out the game with a final score of 66-39.

During the game, Rylie Bisballe reached 1,500 career points, becoming the seventh player in GVSU program history to ever do so.

“I think today’s win was a team effort,” said Rylie Bisballe. “We have definitely been trying to help each other more, especially in the defensive end. We need to continue being confident and consistent heading into the next two games and the GLIAC tournament.”

In less than a month, the GLIAC Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, March 5.​​ The Lakers are set to enter the tournament as the top seed, following their regular season championship title.

“GLIAC is a tough conference and we respect every team, so playing our game to our (best) ability will help us a lot,” said Vanstee.

The first 10 minutes of the matchup against the Warriors were filled with great defensive play. Neither team could get a feel for their offense and the score reflected that. With just under 10 minutes played, the Lakers were trailing 14-10. However, both teams were finally able to start scoring at a higher rate. Wayne State went on a 19-12 scoring run to close the half, and found themselves in firm control of the game. GVSU was in an 11-point deficit at the game’s halfway point. At this point, the score read 33-22.

However, the Lakers seemed to have a productive halftime because they came out strong on offense in the second half. The start to this half exhibited scoring run after scoring run for the Lakers. After redshirt sophomore Charles Turner knocked down a triple, the Lakers brought the Warriors’ lead down to just three points. The Warriors, without hesitation, answered this run with an 8-0 run of their own. WSU took the lead right back up to 11. 

The Lakers still continued to fight their way back up. After four made free throws by junior Jalen Charity and a jam by redshirt sophomore Shamus Thompson, the Lakers were able to cut the lead back to five. Wayne State was relentless at keeping the lead comfortable for themselves. With roughly nine minutes to play, the Warriors held a double-digit lead for the following six minutes. 

GVSU was able to rally toward the end of the game due to the shooting of sophomore Kaden Brown. Brown hit two 3-pointers in the clock’s last four seconds, but time was not on the Lakers’ side. GVSU lost this game by just one point. The final score was 67-66. 

Charity wasn’t happy with the team’s performance, but remained determined.

“(The) only positive we can (take) is that we have another chance to play (against SVSU on Saturday to) redeem ourselves,” said Charity.

That’s exactly what the Lakers did against Saginaw Valley. GVSU opened the game with a quick, 7-0 run. A major point of emphasis coming into this game was improvement on GVSU’s defensive side, especially with Saginaw Valley’s guards playing at such a high level. 

“We just have to let our principles carry us,” said Brown. 

GVSU continued the game’s strong start throughout the first half. The Lakers led the full 20 minutes of action in the first half and were up by 11 points at the end of the half. The Lakers’ ability to keep the lead at a comfortable spot continued into the second half. After the first three minutes of the second half were closely contested, the Lakers found themselves up by 10 again with about 16 minutes remaining. 

SVSU showed tremendous fight and was able to spark an 11-0 run with just two minutes left in the game. However, this was the final push for the Cardinals and they weren’t able to take away the Lakers’ lead. GVSU was able to keep this double-digit cushion until there were just 14 seconds remaining in the game, as the Cardinals managed to score. However, the Lakers were able to hold their lead, and win a much-needed eight-point victory over SVSU, as the final score was 76-68. The Lakers moved to 14-12 on the year and 10-8 in conference play.

On Thursday, the Lakers came out hot against the Pride. The team started early in the paint, and forwards Shamus Thompson and Cam Regnerus were responsible for the first six points. The first 15 minutes of play were neck and neck. In fact, there were several lead changes throughout most of the first half. With roughly five minutes remaining before the half, GVSU found themselves trailing by seven points. This was when sophomore guard Kaden Brown made his mark on the game. Brown knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers in just over a minute of play. 

“I can definitely thank my teammates for that,” said Brown. “They are always looking for me and believing in me. That (feeling supported) brings my confidence to another level.”

Brown’s scoring stretch tied the game at 36, with just over three minutes left in the first half. After some more back-and-forth scoring, Thompson was able to close the half with four straight points in the paint. This gave the Lakers a 42-40 lead.

Junior Jalen Charity had a productive start to the second frame. Charity was able to get a shot to fall from beyond the arc less than a minute into the half. That shot was followed up by a tough drive and finish inside by Charity. Brown was also able to get another 3-pointer to fall, which extended GVSU’s lead to six.

The Pride were almost always able to fight back, which cut the Lakers’ lead to one multiple times. However, the Lakers had too many guys who showcased strong performances. GVSU had six players in double figures and shot 50% as a team from the 3-point line. 

“Everybody on our team is offensively talented,” said Charity. “During this game, we shared the ball and (were able) to find the open guy.”

After a quick 8-0 run with four minutes left, GVSU extended their lead to 11. This posed too much of a deficit for the Pride. The Lakers ended up winning 88-81, which helped GVSU improve to 13-10 on the year and marked three straight wins in conference play. 

The following match against Parkside was an uphill battle for the Lakers. In the first half, the Rangers led for 17 out of the total 20 minutes of play. Parkside took their largest lead of the game and went up by 10 points, with roughly seven minutes left in the opening frame. 

Even with the lackluster start, GVSU was not done clawing its way back into the contest. The Lakers went on a sensational 11-0 run in just five minutes. After GVSU grabbed the lead for a brief moment, the game ended in a tie, 37-37, and went into the break.

In the second half, Parkside was able to jump back out to an abrupt 10-point lead. While GVSU was able to bring the score back into single digits, the Rangers had the Lakers in a bind throughout the rest of the game. The Lakers did not lead at all in the second half. GVSU’s last-ditch effort was able to get Parkside’s lead all the way down to one point. However, this was all the Lakers had left to give and Parkside brought the deficit right back up to 10. After a valiant effort, the Lakers fell to Parkside with a final score of 80-72.

From the start, the Lakers dominated the Bulldogs, closing out the first quarter with a commanding 26-4 lead. As soon as the clock started, the Lakers took off, with senior Abrie Cabana sinking a 3-pointer. Ferris responded with a jump shot by Mya Hiram in the paint, making up two of the only four points the Bulldogs scored during the quarter.

After Hiram’s point, the Lakers were unstoppable. With back-to-back points, Ferris couldn’t keep up with the Lakers’ offensive machine. For the remainder of the quarter, the Lakers scored 23 more points, while the Bulldogs were only able to add two points to their side of the scoreboard. These two points from the Bulldogs came with only 40 seconds left in the quarter.

The second quarter began with a battle of defense. The first point wasn’t scored until two minutes into the quarter. GVSU redshirt senior Rylie Bisballe was hot on the paint with a layup, which was followed by a 3-pointer from freshman MacKenzie Bisballe. Ferris gained slightly more momentum, however, GVSU’s staggering lead made it difficult for the Bulldogs to successfully make up the point difference. After a media timeout, the Bulldogs were awarded a free throw, where Mia Riley sank three shots into the basket. By the end of the second quarter, the Lakers were up by 31 points, with a score of 44-13.

At the start of the third quarter, Ferris made it clear they weren’t going down without a fight. Hiram made a jump shot in the paint to score the quarter’s first point. Following Hiram’s jump shot, the Bulldogs’ Kenzie Bowers slashed through the Lakers’ defense to score a layup.

The Lakers responded to this when redshirt junior Nicole Kamin stepped up and sank a 3-pointer. However, Ferris didn’t let Kamin’s 3-pointer ruin their flow, as Elle Irwin responded with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs. Ferris fought to keep up their momentum, desperate to bridge the gap in scoring. The Bulldogs scored eight more points back to back. Despite the Bulldogs’ best efforts, the Lakers were still up by 24 points. The quarter ended with a score of 56-32.

In the last quarter, Ferris fought hard to upend the Lakers, but it was to no avail. The Lakers maintained control and stayed out of the Bulldogs’ reach. GVSU closed out the game with a 78-57 point victory. 

The Lakers were led in scoring by the Bisballe sister duo. MacKenzie Bisballe scored 17 points, while her sister, Rylie Bisballe, scored 13.

“Our team is trying to focus on one game at a time,” Rylie Bisballe said. “We all (want) to win and be a selfless team. I think our team focusing on what we can do to help each other and get a win has been very rewarding thus far.”

The Lakers hope to continue their success when they head to Hammond, Ind. on Thursday, Feb. 13 to play against Purdue Northwest.

Considering the only 65 miles that separate GVSU and Ferris, there is little love between the two programs. The teams’ rivalry made the competition one of the season’s most highly anticipated games.

“We don’t like them, and they don’t like us,” said GVSU junior Jalen Charity. “These games are always competitive, and it brings out lots of emotion.” 

During these games, there is always an emphasis on how to properly use such emotion. No coach wants their team to play without intensity and harnessing rivalry feelings to promote better play is key. The Lakers already knew this, and Charity reiterated the importance of how to use energy and emotion. 

“We always play by our principles in every game,” said Charity. “Although it is always a big game and tensions rise, we have to focus on taking care of what we do.” 

GVSU came out firing on all cylinders to start the matchup. They abruptly jumped ahead to a 10-point lead just four minutes into the ball game. The contribution came from every position, and the first five buckets for the Lakers were scored from five different players. 

Ferris was able to stick with the Lakers, dwindling the lead back to single digits several times. However, the Lakers would not be denied the win. In the final seven minutes of the first half, GVSU went on a 19-9 run. The Lakers were able to build a 17-point lead before halftime, making the score 45-28 at the break. A big part of their success was the efficient 3-point shooting by the Lakers. The team shot an impressive 43% from beyond the arc. 

The second half was no different for the Lakers. Their first act of the second half was a 12-3 scoring run. Once Ferris started to feel any sort of rhythm, GVSU sophomore Kaden Brown scored five straight points. 

Both buckets were different; one was assisted on a catch-and-shoot, and the other was the result of created space.

“I would say I’m pretty flexible,” said Brown. “I like creating my own chances, but if I am open on the catch, I shoot at a pretty good clip.” 

Things got out of control for Ferris fairly early on in the second frame of the game. GVSU was even more sensational in the second half. They had another solid outing from the 3-point line while drastically improving from the field by 20%. 

The Lakers scored 45 points in the first half but were able to top themselves with 49 points in the second. GVSU also had four players with double figures by the end of the game.

After another purely one-sided 20 minutes of basketball, the Lakers ended the matchup, winning by 32 points. This marked the largest victory in their rivalry with Ferris since 2008. GVSU moved to 12-10 on the year and 8-8 in conference play. 

Considering this win and their win against Lake Superior State on Thursday, Feb. 6, the Lakers have now beaten back-to-back ranked opponents at the GVSU Fieldhouse. The team looks to continue the momentum when they leave their home court on Thursday, Feb. 13 to take on the Purdue Northwest Pride.

In their Thursday game against NMU, the Lakers trailed early. The Wildcats hit four of their first six shots and were able to secure an early eight-point lead. GVSU rallied back behind efficient play from redshirt sophomore Charles Turner. At one point, Turner scored seven straight points for the Lakers. After senior William Dunn got a layup to fall in the paint, GVSU tied the game at 20 points.

NMU played a strong last five minutes of the first half. The Wildcats outscored the Lakers 14-7 to close out the half, as GVSU trailed seven at the break. 

The second half did not see a bucket from either side in the first two minutes of play. Then, NMU drilled a 3-pointer to extend their lead to 10. The hot start for NMU certainly seemed to carry over into the second half. On the other hand, this was a disastrous half for the Lakers. The Wildcats were able to abruptly get their lead to 20 points not even midway through the second half. This proved to be too large of a lead for the Lakers to come back from. After getting outscored by 20 points in the second half, GVSU lost by 27 to NMU, ending the Lakers’ winning streak.

Just a couple of days later, the Lakers found themselves at Michigan Tech for a matchup against the 14-5 Huskies. The last time these teams matched up, Dunn was very impressed by their program. 

“Michigan Tech is a great team,” said Dunn. “They have some real players who can score, and have been playing together for a while now.”

GVSU was able to keep the deficit within single digits for the majority of the first half. However, MTU was able to manage a lead for 15 of the 20 minutes in the first half. After a small five-to-zero run before halftime, the Lakers were down by 11 points. This was the largest lead of the game thus far for the Huskies, with a score of 44-33. 

The Huskies did a phenomenal job of nursing this lead in the second half. There wasn’t a lot that separated the two teams in the box score, but MTU kept GVSU at a comfortable distance for the majority of the second half. There were small droughts where both teams did not score, but it seemed like any time the Lakers scored, it was matched by Michigan Tech. The Lakers committed a solid amount of fouls and the Huskies were excellent from the line. In their 15 chances at the strike, MTU missed only once.

After battling all half, GVSU simply ran out of gas with around five minutes left in the game. Here, the Huskies were able to capitalize on their opponents’ seemingly-tired legs, and put away the Lakers, 81-66. 

Although they lost, the Lakers saw solid efforts from junior Jalen Charity, who led the team in scoring, and sophomore Kaden Brown. Charity scored 13 points on an efficient 50% shooting from the field. Brown’s shot fell from beyond the arc, shooting 50% from the 3-point line. 

Despite these performances, the Lakers dropped the back-to-back games. After their loss to the Huskies, GVSU is now .500 on the year at 10-10. 

Brown emphasized the importance of remaining together as a team, especially through rough patches.

“We will go back to the drawing board,” said Brown. “(We’ll) bring energy and focus into practice next week.”

On Thursday, the Lakers traveled 6 1/2 hours to Marquette, Michigan, where they played the Wildcats.

The game started with the Lakers gaining an early lead against the Wildcats. At the start of the quarter, the Lakers came out hot with a 3-pointer from GVSU’s Kathryn Schmidt, which set the tone for the rest of the quarter. As GVSU pulled ahead, NMU fought back, trying to bridge the gap. 

Halfway through the quarter, the Wildcat’s Jacy Weisbrod knocked down a triple, which lessened the Lakers’ lead to only three points. The Lakers quickly responded, as redshirt junior Paige Vanstee blasted through the Wildcats’ defense to score a layup. After Vanstee’s layup, the Lakers began to shut the Wildcats out. GVSU kept NMU on their toes for the rest of the quarter as they struggled to play catch up against the Lakers. 

With two minutes left in the quarter, NMU’s Abi Fraaza stepped up to the line and scored two free throws, slightly bridging the gap between the Lakers. After Fraaza’s free throws, the Lakers hunkered down on defense and closed the door on the Wildcats for the remaining two minutes. With a minute left on the clock, redshirt junior Nicole Kamin scored a 3-pointer to close out the quarter for the Lakers, 22-10. 

The next quarter began with the Wildcats fighting to bridge the gap between them and the Lakers. Just two minutes into the quarter, NMU’s Alyssa Hill made a layup, followed by two free throws by NMU’s Mackenzie Holzwart, which brought the score to 22-14. 

The Lakers cut the Wildcats’ momentum short, and maintained control for the rest of the quarter. At the end of the quarter, a foul by NMU’s Sarah Newcomer awarded GVSU a free throw. Kamin sank the first free throw in the basket for the Lakers, ending the quarter with a 13-point lead, 42-29.

During the third quarter, the Wildcats didn’t give the Lakers a chance to significantly widen their lead. By the end of the quarter, the Lakers still led by 13 points, with a score of 51-38.

The final quarter was nothing short of Laker dominance. Vanstee started GVSU off with a 3-pointer, followed by a layup in less than two minutes. NMU followed this up with a layup from Hill. Hill’s layup did nothing to stop GVSU’s offensive fury, as Kamin sank a 3-pointer, followed by another 3-pointer from redshirt senior Rylie Bisballe. 

After a foul by NMU’s Holzwart, Vanstee stepped up to the line and calmly sunk two into the basket. Less than one minute after this, junior Avery Zeinstra made a 3-pointer, which gave GVSU a 25-point lead. By this point, it was clear things weren’t looking good for the Wildcats.

With 50 seconds left on the clock, freshman MacKenzie Bisballe maneuvered through NMU’s defense and scored a layup. 

When the clock hit zero, GVSU had won, 74-48. Vanstee led the Lakers in scoring, with a season-high of 20 points. Vanstee emphasized her and the team’s balanced approach to winning.

“This season hasn’t been about numbers,” Vanstee said. “It’s been about being our best and doing the little things that win games.”

The Lakers were soon back on the road to Houghton, Michigan, where they played against the MTU Huskies.

During the first quarter, the Lakers kept control of the lead while going basket-for-basket with the Huskies. The quarter started with a 3-pointer from Kamin, which was matched by two free throws from MTU. By the end of the quarter, GVSU held a seven-point lead, with a score of 14-7. 

In the second quarter, the Lakers fought to widen their lead, but the Huskies doubled down defensively to keep the Lakers’ lead no higher than 11. With 40 seconds left on the clock, MacKenzie Bisballe knocked down a triple, which brought the Lakers’ lead back to double digits, ending the quarter, 31-21. 

In the third, the Huskies dug deep, and made sure to keep their lead in the single digits for the majority of the quarter. As the Lakers fought to bring their lead up, the Huskies battled to tie up the score. The Lakers ended the third with an eight-point lead and a score of 49-41.

The Lakers started the final quarter with a 3-pointer from redshirt senior Hadley Miller, which brought the lead back to double digits. 

“Personally, I’m just focused on doing what I can to help us continue our success,” Miller said. “(I’m) just focusing on consistency in the little things.”

By the middle of the quarter, the Huskies couldn’t keep up with the Lakers and their lead only stretched. By the end of the game, GVSU won with an 18-point lead and a final score of 69-51. 

The team is hoping to keep their winning streak alive when they return home to play Lake Superior State on Thursday, Feb. 6.