Dec. 8, 2009

Box Score

Allendale, Mich. - Grand Valley State won its sixth-straight victory on Tuesday night (Dec. 8) with a 71-56 win over visiting Lewis at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Lakers owned a 30-24 lead at halftime, after trailing most of the first half. GVSU shot 60 percent from the three-point line in the second half, while owning a 24-19 advantage in defensive rebounds.

Early in the first half, the Lakers were down 5-12 before going on a 7-0 run that featured a lay-up from freshman Brittany Taylor, a layup by sophomore guard Emma Veach and a trifecta from freshman center Alex Stelfox, tying the score at 12 with 10 minutes left to go in the first half. GVSU got its first lead of the game at the 7:47 mark when freshman guard Lauren Stodola knocked in a three-pointer, giving the Lakers a 17-16 lead.

Grand Valley State went on a 6-0 run to push its lead out to 30-24 at half. During the run three different players scored, including another three-pointer by Stodola, a layup by sophomore guard Kelly Kretz and a pair of free throws from Veach. The Lakers owned a 21-16 edge on the boards and got great bench production with a 15-1 advantage in the opening 20 minutes.

During the second half of play the Lakers added on to their lead by going on a 7-0 run. Veach made back-to-back shots at the 16:37 mark, followed by a jumper from Stodola, giving GVSU a 46-33 lead. The Lakers never lost the lead and led by as much as 15 in the second half.

Lewis scored 32 points in the second half on 45.8 percent shooting (11-of-24), including 3-of-8 from three-point range. For the game, Lewis shot 5-of-15 from downtown for a 33.3 percent clip and the Flyers made just 37.7 percent (20-of-53) of their field goal attempts.

GVSU finished the game at 50 percent (27-of-54) and made seven of its 15 attempts at the three-point line for 46.7 percent. The Lakers forced 19 Flyer turnovers and held a 35-31 advantage in rebounds. GVSU owned a 26 advantage in points in the paint and the GVSU bench outscored Lewis, 19-9.

Veach led the Lakers with a season-high 22 points. She shot 9-14 from the field and recorded seven rebounds. Stelfox and sophomore guard Jasmine Padin were also in double figures for Grand Valley State both recording 13 points. Stodola played very well off the bench as she scored eight points on 3-5 shooting, including a 100 percent from three-point range.

Grand Valley State advanced its record to 6-1, while Lewis falls to 3-4 on the year. The Lakers will return to GLIAC action and will face Findlay on Saturday night (Dec. 12) at 5:30 p.m. in Findlay, Ohio.