Jan. 12, 2013
Box Score
Postgame Comments
ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Grand Valley State women's basketball team used strong shooting to take down GLIAC North Division favorite Michigan Tech, 76-64, on Saturday afternoon at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.
The Lakers improve to 11-3 on the season and more importantly move into a tie with Michigan Tech with a 7-3 GLIAC record. The Huskies fall to 9-5 and fall into second place with GVSU after Ferris State picked up a win against Northern Michigan to move back into first place of the North Division.
Senior Briauna Taylor (Livonia, Mich.) led the Lakers for the fifth consecutive game tallying 30 points on 10-of-24 shooting and a 9-for-12 performance from the line. Taylor was the last Laker to score 30 points when she hit a career-high 33 points on Jan. 22, 2011 against Michigan Tech.
Junior Breanna Kellogg celebrated her birthday with a career-high-tying 12 points, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and going 3-for-4 from the line. Senior Alex Stelfox joined in double figure with 10 points.
The teams traded baskets in the opening 10 minutes with the Lakers holding a 19-13 lead at the 10:41 mark. Michigan Tech's Emma Veach then hit a three-pointer to spark an 11-4 run to give the Huskies a 27-23 advantage with 6:18 on the clock.
A 7-2 run from GVSU pulled the Lakers back out in front, 30-29, before the teams went back-and-forth on the next five possessions. With the game tied at 35-35 and less than 40 seconds to play in the first, a lay-in from sophomore Meryl Cripe (Elmhurst, Ill.) gave GVSU a 37-25 lead into the locker room.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with the two teams trading baskets until Michigan Tech pulled ahead with a 42-39 lead with 18:22 on the clock. Back-to-back baskets from Kellogg, including a trifecta on a dish from Taylor, sparked a 15-5 run to give GVSU a 56-47 lead with 8:50 to play. During the stretch, the Lakers held Michigan Tech without a basket for more than five minutes.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Michigan Tech snapped the scoreless stretch, cutting the lead to three, but GVSU responded each time. The Huskies continued to answer back, pulling within three two more times, but an 8-0 run by the Lakers down the stretch put the game out of reach.
GVSU went 50 percent from the field on 28-of-56 shooting, while holding Michigan Tech to just 34.3 (23-67) percent, including shooting just 26.5 (9-34) percent in the second half.
Michigan Tech held a 43-39 edge off the glass with two players grabbing nine boards. Taylor and sophomore Daina Grazulis (Marquette, Mich.) each grabbed a team-high eight caroms.
Veach led the Huskies with 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while three other starters scored in double figures. Sam Hoyt and Mackenzie Perttu each recorded 11, while Jillian Ritchie chipped in 10.
After finishing their homestand with a 3-1 record, Grand Valley State now heads on the road against Lake Superior State on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Sault Ste. Marie.
