Jan. 19, 2013
Box Score
ALLENDALE, Mich. - Despite holding Northwood to just 36 percent shooting, the Grand Valley State women's basketball team could not overcome a 32-for-39 outing from the free throw line as the Lakers fell, 74-65, to the Timberwolves on Saturday evening at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.
The loss snaps a three-game win streak and moves GVSU to 12-4 overall and 8-4 in GLIAC play to drop into fourth place in the North Division. Northwood evens its record to 9-9 on the year and 7-5 in league action.
The game saw three ties before Northwood opened a 7-0 run to lead 15-8 at the 11:31 mark. Grand Valley State pulled to within three, 15-12, thanks to baskets from senior Briauna Taylor (Livonia, Mich.) and junior Dani Crandall (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), but the Timberwolves went on another run over the next four minutes to hold a 21-14 advantage.
A three-pointer from junior Kellie Watson (Ionia, Mich.) was the last field goal scored for more than five minutes from either team. Crandall hit a free throw and a pair from Northwood would be the only additions to the score until a jumper from Janell Smith made it a 25-18 game in the Timberwolves favor.
Sophomore Kat LaPrairie (Rockford, Mich.) hit a long-range shot to close the gap to two, but a free throw from Northwood made it a three-point game again. LaPrairie then hit another three-pointer to tie the score at 26-26 heading into halftime.
GVSU held a one to five point lead over the opening five minutes of the second stanza before Gabrielle Rivette hit a pair of free throws and a field goal to spark an 18-4 run that lasted for five minutes giving Northwood a 60-47 lead at the 6:58 mark.
Taylor converted a three-point play to stop the scoreless stretch for GVSU, but Northwood continued to extend its lead, going 10-for-12 from the charity stripe in the last four minutes to take the game.
Leading the team for the seventh straight contest, Taylor scored eight of her team-high 20 points in the final four minutes. She also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists in 35 minutes of work.
LaPrairie tallied 15 points, shooting 6-for-15 from the field and 3-of-10 from three-point range. Crandall joined in double figures with 13 points, while also tallying eight boards and four assists.
Grand Valley State held Northwood to 36 percent shooting on 20-of-55, but the Timberwolves went 12-for-24 in the second half. The Lakers shot 40.3 percent on 25-of-62 from the floor. The difference in the game came from the free throw line as Northwood was 32-of-39, while GVSU was just 10-for-14 from the stripe.
Northwood had four players record double figure points with Rivette holding a team-high 21 points. Smith had 12 points, while Aleigha Wylie and Jordyn Nurenberg notched 11 and 10, respectively. Nurenberg was one rebound short of a double-double as the Timberwolves held a 39-33 edge off the glass.
GVSU looks to bounce back in its final home contest of January when it hosts Saginaw Valley State on January 24 at 8 p.m. The Cardinals are 4-7 in the GLIAC and 6-9 overall.
