The Grand Valley State women's basketball team didn't miss a beat in the next game after defeating #2 ranked Lewis at home on Wednesday night, edging Gannon in Saturday's contest by a score of 80-76.
 
Kayla Dawson led the Lakers with 20 points and six rebounds, while Piper Tucker netted 19 points on a perfect 7-7 from the field (5-5 3-PT) to go along with five rebounds and five assists. Taylor Lutz chipped in 12 points, four rebounds and four assists, two blocks and a steal.
 
The Lakers hit their first seven shots, five of them three point baskets, en route to an early 21-11 lead over halfway through the first quarter. The Lakers would lead 25-17 at the end of the first after hitting 9-16 shots in the first quarter.
 
The Lakers scored first to begin the second quarter, getting a three from Kayla Dawson and a layup by Taylor Lutz to extend the lead to 13. After a Gannon layup, Lutz would hit a three to answer. Just one minute later, Kayla Dawson hit yet another three ball, pushing the lead to 14.
 
Lindsay Baker connected from behind the arc with just under five minutes left in the second quarter, and the Lakers led by 18 points. For the next few minutes, the two teams traded baskets, and every basket for the Knights was answered in quick fashion by the Lakers. After a Gannon three point shot with just 16 seconds remaining cut the lead to 14, Taylor Lutz got the ball to Piper Tucker for the last shot before the break, and Tucker nailed the long ball with one second left to give the Lakers a 17 point lead going into halftime.
 
After shooting a blazing 56 percent from the field in the first half, the halftime break cooled the Lakers off a bit, as the offense came out in the second half hitting just one of five shots to begin the third quarter. The Knights used a 7-2 run to cut the lead to 12 with 6:30 left in the third quarter, before the Lakers pushed it back to 15 with a Tucker long ball at the six minute mark.
 
 With the lead at 15, the Knights once again took charge, scoring nine straight points and prompting the Lakers to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, a Taylor Parmley missed layup turned into second chance points for the Lakers after Parmley collected her own rebound to keep the play alive, which Tucker finished with a jumper to put the Lakers on top by eight with three minutes left in the third quarter. After a Lutz layup, Gannon answered with a three point basket, which was answered in turn by Parmley to round out the quarter.
 
The fourth quarter was a furious affair, with the Lakers lead dwindling and the Knights on the hunt for a comeback. A layup followed by a three pointer cut the Laker lead to four at 65-61 with 7 minutes left in the game. After two made free throws by Brionna Barnett with five and a half minutes left were answered by a Gannon layup, the Lakers got a layup from Dawson and a three point bucket from Tucker to go up nine with just under five minutes left to play.
 
The Knights were not done, however, and they continued to battle as time wound down on the clock. A three pointer from Brianna Brennan left the Grand Valley lead at just two points with eleven seconds left in the game, and Gannon fouled Barnett on the inbounds with six seconds remaining.  Barnett hit both free throws to seal the final score at 80-76 and give Grand Valley it's third straight victory and a hard fought road win coming on the heels of an upset over #2 Lewis on Wednesday.
 
Barnett finished with eight points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Grand Valley. Bailey Cairnduff added nine points in 22 minutes of action.
 
The Knights had three players in double figures. Brianna Brennan and Morgan Neighbors both had 23 points for the Knights, while McKenna Shives added 14.
 
Grand Valley moves to 4-1 on the season, and will take on Ashland at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena on Thursday, December 3^rd at 6 p.m. to open GLIAC play.