Feb. 3, 2011

Box Score

University Center, Mich. - In a game that featured 11 lead changes and 10 tie scores, #17 Grand Valley State took the night's final lead with 1:19 left to play and the Lakers held off Saginaw Valley State by a 66-61 final on Thursday night (Feb. 3) in University Center. GVSU trailed at halftime by a pair, but shot 62.5 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes and forced 24 Cardinal turnovers to help spark the comeback victory. Grand Valley State trailed by three points with 2:21 left, but closed the game with an 8-0 run to clinch its 16th win of the season.

The Lakers have won three straight games and five of their last six to push their overall record to 16-4 on the year. GVSU is 9-4 in conference play. Saginaw Valley State, which led by as many as seven points in the second half, falls to 6-13 overall and 4-9 in the league standings.

Thursday night's game was much more competitive than the teams' first meeting of the season, a 64-35 blowout win for the Lakers in Allendale on Jan. 6. In this second meeting, the Cardinals gave GVSU everything it could handle. SVSU outshot Grand Valley State (44.4 to 42.9) and forced the Lakers into just 1-of-10 shooting from three-point range, while making 10 three-pointers of its own. However, GVSU forced 24 turnovers and turned that into a 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Grand Valley State also held a mammoth edge in the paint, outscoring SVSU by a 44-12 margin in the key.

A seesaw first half had each team lead three different times and the score tied on seven different occasions. Saginaw Valley State held the biggest lead of the opening 20 minutes at 7-2 with 17:56 remaining, but the Lakers quickly answered with six straight points. Junior Jasmine Padin scored on a layup, followed by a layup from sophomore Briauna Taylor and a third bunny from sophomore Alex Stelfox, giving GVSU a 8-7 lead.

The game would be back and forth the rest of the half, with consecutive buckets from Taylor putting Grand Valley State on top by a 28-24 score with 3:12 to play in the half. SVSU, however, would close out the opening frame with an 8-2 run that put the home team ahead by a 32-30 tally at the intermission. The Cardinals shot 52.9 percent from the field in the first half and made 5-of-9 three-pointers, but GVSU stayed close by forcing 14 turnovers.

Saginaw Valley State pushed out to a seven-point advantage twice in the early part of the second half, but Grand Valley State used a quick 6-0 run to tie the ballgame at 44-44 with 11:17 left. The spurt was started and ended on buckets from sophomore Lauren Stodola, which were sandwiched around a Brittany Taylor layup. The game would be tied at 55-55 at the 6:22 mark for the 10th time before GVSU opened up a slim three-point lead after another layup from Brittany Taylor and a free throw from sister Briauna.

With the score at 58-55, SVSU then scored six straight points and opened a 61-58 advantage approaching the final two minutes of the game. With 2:02 on the clock, Briauna Taylor drained a jumper and on the next Lakers possession (after a Cardinal turnover), Stodola buried a jumper, giving GVSU a 62-61 lead with 1:19 showing on the scoreboard. Grand Valley State would close out the game from there with Briauna Taylor and Padin each knocking down two free throws for a game-ending 8-0 run and a 66-61 victory.

The Lakers, who shot 42.9 percent from the field in the game, had three players in double figures. Briauna Taylor tied for both game-highs in points (18), rebounds (eight), and steals (four). All eight of her rebounds came on the offensive glass. Stelfox also notched 18 points by shooting 9-of-15 from the floor. She added four boards and a pair of assists.

Brittany Taylor was 6-of-10 from the field and supplied 13 points and six boards in 29 productive minutes off the Laker bench. Stodola provided nine points, three boards, three assists, and three steals while playing a game-high 38 minutes. Padin notched five boards, four points, four assists, and four steals.

Saginaw Valley State was led by Kristen Greene, who tallied 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Greene knocked down 4-of-9 three-point attempts. Cheritee Green supplied a team-high eight rebounds for the Cardinals.

Grand Valley State continues its four-game road trip on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 5), as the Lakers will face Lake Superior State at 3:00 p.m. in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. On Jan. 8 in Allendale, LSSU topped GVSU in an overtime thriller, 79-72.