Nov. 20, 2007

Final Stats

Allendale, Mich. - Crystal Zick was stellar on both sides of the court as Grand Valley State University earned their first win of the season. Zick scored 29 points and notched 10 steals, both career highs, as the Lakers defeated St. Joseph's (Ind.) 84-44 on Tuesday, Nov. 20. The Lakers are now 1-2 on the season and host Lewis in their next game on Saturday, Nov. 24. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m.

The only lead that St. Joe's had came early on, when Julia LaBlanc made a three-pointer to put the Pumas up 3-1. Zick hit her first shot of te day 1:33 later to give GVSU a 4-3 lead that they would never relinquish. Zick ended the day 3-for-3 from long range and 11-of-14 from the field. Michelle Kiger hit back-to-back three pointers to tie the score at nine at the 13:42 mark. Kiger led the Pumas offensively, finishing the day with 21 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

GVSU scored nine of the next 11 points, including six from Taylor Silas, to take an 18-11 lead. Kiger and LaBlanc both hit long-range shots to bring St. Joe's back to within one at 19-18. The teams exchanged points all the way to the half, and three three-pointers in the last minute, two by Kiger and one by Kim Wyngaard, made the score 27-26 heading into the break.

The Lakers came roaring out of the locker room, outscoring the Pumas 57-18 in the second stanza. After Molly Lauck made a layup to bring St. Joe's to within one at 31-30, GVSU went on a 18-0 run to put the game away. Zick and Erin Cyplik both scored eight points in the run. The Lakers continued to pour it on, eventually extending the lead to 57-32. The Pumas only scored another 12 points in the final 10 minutes as GVSU cruised to a 84-44 victory.

Grand Valley State took advantage of 30 turnovers by St. Joe's, outscoring the Pumas 29-4 in points off of turnovers. GVSU also scored 22 points in the paint and 12 on fast breaks. Their bench contributed 23 points, headlined by 14 from Elizabeth Van Tiflin, who shot 4-of-7 from three-point range.