Allendale, Mich. -- After seeing a 16-point lead completely erased, and a four-point deficit staring it straight in the face, the Grand Valley State women's basketball team never backed down. Not even for a second. The Lakers, who were outscored 36-24 in the second half, rallied and sent the game to overtime, where they scored 12 of the first 14 points en route to a 71-63 victory over Hillsdale.
 
By the 1:37 mark of the opening half, GVSU held a 33-17 lead. It did so by making 13 of its first 25 shots.
 
But everything went awry early in the second frame. The teams traded five-point stretches to open the half. Then Hillsdale cut the deficit to single digits—twice. The resilient Lakers pushed the lead back to 10 and 11 points on those occasions, though it was just the beginning of the Chargers' furious rally.
 
Following a 3-pointer by junior guard Brionna Barnett—her seventh make in as many attempts—at the 14:47 mark, Hillsdale scored 14 unanswered points, seizing a 48-44 lead exactly five minutes later.
 
As shocking as it was to those inside the Fieldhouse Arena, the Lakers were far from rattled. Sophomore guard Janae Langs and junior forward Jammie Botruff halted the run with a pair of layups. Four lead changes and three ties highlighted the final seven minutes of regulation.
 
The game's final tie brought plenty of drama along with it. Sophomore forward Kayla Dawson, a 77-percent free throw shooter, drained a pair of freebies with 58 ticks remaining to knot the score at 57-57. Brooke Borowski missed a jumper on Hillsdale's potential go-ahead possession, leaving GVSU with the last shot. Barnett's mid-range jumper near the left half of the baseline just missed, sending the game to overtime.
 
Recollected and full of new life, the Lakers came out firing in overtime.
 
Senior forward Kat LaPrairie sank her third triple of the evening a mere 17 seconds into the extra session. Morgan Blair answered for Hillsdale, but back-to-back jumpers from Barnett sparked what would be a 9-0 run, effectively putting the game out of reach.
 
Barnett finished with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting. She made her first seven and last two attempts from the floor. The Elkhart, Indiana native collected a career-high nine rebounds and dished out a game-high four assists as well.
 
LaPrairie ended up with 16 points and three makes from distance. Her first trifecta of the night, the 147^th of her career, which came at the 15:06 mark of the opening half, moved her into fifth place in the GVSU record book, passing former Laker Crystal Zick.
 
Dawson joined the duo in double figures, chipping in 11 points and collecting five boards. Tucker, the only other Laker with more than five points, poured in eight points and nabbed four rebounds.
 
The win lifts GVSU's overall record to 18-7 and keeps it in a tie for second place in the GLIAC North Division with a 15-6 mark in league play. The Lakers need a win against Ferris State on Thursday (Feb. 26) to keep their chances of hosting a GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinal game alive.
 
Tip off in Big Rapids, Michigan is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET.