Houghton, Mich. -- For the 20 minutes of action, the Grand Valley State women's basketball team seemed poised to upset its second ranked opponent this season. Its shooting woes were simply too much to overcome, though. Between the final seven seconds of the first half and opening four minutes of the second half, the Lakers were outscored 16-4, putting them in a hole they were unable to climb out of. GVSU mounted a brief rally late in the game, but it eventually fell 61-52 in Houghton, Michigan.

Junior guard Brionna Barnett scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. The Elkhart, Indiana native also dished out three assists, three rebounds and one steal.

Two other Lakers reached double figures. Senior forward Kat LaPrairie poured in 13 points, 11 of which came in the second half. She went 5-of-9 from the field and knocked down a trio of threes in just 17 minutes. Sophomore forward Kayla Dawson posted a 10-point, five-rebound stat line. No other GVSU player scored more than two points.

There were plenty of rebounds to be had—both teams shot less than 38 percent—and freshman center Korynn Hincka and sophomore forward Piper Tucker came up with more than their fair share. The post duo pulled down seven rebounds apiece. Hincka added a pair of blocks as well.

The Lakers trailed for the majority of the first half, but a 5-0 run, sparked by Dawson's three-point play, gave them a 15-14 lead at the 8:29 mark. Michigan Tech promptly responded with a two. Forty seconds later, junior forward Jammie Botruff scored her only basket to put GVSU back in front.

Once again, the Huskies had an answer. Brenna Heise's jumper made it 18-17 with 7:01 left before halftime. A triple from Barnett allowed the Lakers to regain the lead. Two ties and two lead changes before the break enabled Michigan Tech to take a 28-25 edge into the locker room.

Following the Huskies' strong start to the second stanza, GVSU trailed by double digits until the 6:37 mark. Barnett's layup and a trifecta by LaPrairie got the Lakers within seven. However, they would not get any closer.

The loss drops GVSU's overall record to 10-4 and snaps a three-game winning streak. It also brings the club's record in GLIAC play to 7-3, leaving them in a tie for second place in the North Division standings.

Next up for the Lakers is a conference clash with Lake Superior State. Tip off at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday (Jan. 22).