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Allendale, Mich. -- A quick turnaround comes with plenty of challenges. Fresh off a 69-59 victory over Ferris State on Monday (Feb. 2), the Grand Valley State women's basketball team will play its fourth game in a one-week span on Thursday (Feb. 5). And it has a fifth scheduled for Saturday (Feb. 7).
 
These are not matchups with league bottom feeders either. The Lakers will face two of the GLIAC's top clubs this week: Northern Michigan and No. 13 Michigan Tech.
 
The Wildcats, carrying a 10-5 record in conference play, sit one game behind GVSU in the GLIAC North Division. A weekend showdown with the Huskies, who lead the division with a 14-1 mark, will be a chance for the Lakers to make up ground in the standings.
 
"Mental preparation is extremely crucial. We have to be able to understand what the game plan represents and implement it without much repetition," says head coach Janel Burgess. "That can be challenging. I'm excited to see how our ladies respond."
 
Burgess also believes her team's most evident quality will serve it well this week. Even though she insists the Lakers don't pay attention to the standings, or the fact they're riding the sixth-longest home winning streak in school history, they know how important these pair of games are.
 
"We are competitors," she says. "They know who is coming to (our) house this weekend. We have to do our job, do it together, do it as a unit focused on team play and let the rest fall as it may."
 
There is some good news, though. GVSU has seen both of these clubs already. Back on Jan. 15, the Lakers topped Northern Michigan 68-61 in Marquette. Two days later, they fell 61-52 to then-No. 23 Michigan Tech.
 
"Things haven't changed too much in three weeks," says Burgess. "It's just important that we play our game and rely on what we do to make sure we dictate what our opponents do, instead of us having to adjust to them.
 
"It's going to be about finishing possessions on both ends."
 
Tip off for Thursday's tilt at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena is set for 6:00 p.m. ET, while Saturday's clash will get underway at 1 p.m. ET.