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Allendale, Mich. -- Coming off its most dramatic victories of the 2014-15 season, the Grand Valley State women's basketball team is riding high, with only Ferris State standing in the way of hosting a GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinal. If the Lakers, who improved to 5-2 in the month of February with two wins last week, win in Big Rapids on Thursday (Feb. 26), they will not be traveling for their first postseason game.
 
This meeting will also be a special one, considering it is the 90^th time these two teams have come together on the hardwood. The Lakers lead the overall series 61-28, but the Bulldogs have managed to take six of the last 15 games. And, since 2009, GVSU has only swept the regular season series twice.
 
It has a chance to change the latter this week.
 
In the first meeting between the two, the Lakers emerged with a 10-point win. They drained 11 triples on that night, which is not an unusual figure for this group. GVSU has made at least 10 trifectas in seven games this season. Over its last three seasons, the Lakers had done that a grand total of six times.
 
Making things even more interesting: GVSU is seeking its fifth win in its last eight trips to Big Rapids.
 
Another statistic on the Lakers' side: they are 8-0 in Thursday games this season, with four of those victories coming away from home. They are 12-2 in contests that tip off after 5 p.m. local time as well.
 
On an individual note, Brionna Barnett will look to keep her recent tear going. The junior guard has four 20-plus-point games, including a game-high 22 points in a 71-63 overtime win over Hillsdale last Saturday (Feb. 21), in the Lakers' last 10 outings. She is averaging 17 points per game this month.
 
Barnett isn't the only starter who played well last week, though. All of them operated at a high level in a 71-70 road victory at Saginaw Valley State. The starting five—Barnett, Kayla Dawson, Kat LaPrairie, Taylor Lutz and Piper Tucker—combined for 62 points. The starters matched that number against Hillsdale, tying for the third-highest output from the starting five when GVSU scored less than 75 points this season.
 
Rebounding will be a challenge for the Lakers at Ferris State, however. Christina Branch ranks fifth among GLIAC players with 8.7 rebounds per game. She is also tough to keep out of the paint, which is why Branch is second among league players in field goal percentage (59.3 percent).
 
Tip off at Jim Wink Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.