Feb. 23, 2013
Box Score
ALLENDALE, Mich. - The Grand Valley State women's basketball team overcame a 17-point first-half deficit to edge out GLIAC North Division leader Wayne State, 61-58, on Saturday afternoon at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.
The Lakers improve to 18-7 on the season and more importantly 14-7 in GLIAC play, while Wayne State falls to 18-6 overall and 16-4 in league action. Grand Valley State has one more game to play before learning its spot in the GLIAC Tournament.
Wayne State built up its biggest lead of the game in the opening stanza, jumping out to a 25-8 lead with 7:49 left in the first. GVSU used a 20-5 run, stretching from the 3:26 mark through the opening minutes of the second half, to pull within two, 30-28, with 17:54 left in the game.
Wayne State continued to hold a one-to-three point lead for the next five minutes before eight straight points from Phaebre Colbert gave the Warriors their biggest lead of the half, 46-39, with 9:55 to play.
Grand Valley State continued to chip away at the Warriors' lead with a pair of free throws from senior Briauna Taylor to give the Lakers' their first advantage of the afternoon, 52-51. Wayne State then tied the game two more times before junior Dani Crandall's only triple of the game at the 1:02 mark gave GVSU the slight edge it would need to secure the win.
Taylor recorded her second double-double in as many games with 23 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, while also dishing out a team-high four assists. The forward helped the Lakers grab a season-best 19 offensive boards en route to 16-second chance points.
Sophomore Daina Grazulis joined Taylor in double figures, adding 12 points off the bench to go along with three blocks. Crandall also had a great day off the boards, grabbing nine rebounds, but Wayne State owned a 51-47 edge off the glass with two players recording 15 boards.
Despite shooting a season-low 28 percent, the 17-point deficit was the largest the Lakers have overcome to win a game.
Talisha Bridges had a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds, while Colbert had a team-high 16 points. Wayne State was just 1-for-6 from long range, while shooting 30 percent from the field.
Grand Valley State now has a week to prepare for West Michigan rival Ferris State. The Bulldogs travel to Allendale on March 2 for a 8 p.m. tip-off in GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.
