In one of the most well-played and cleanest games in Grand Valley State history, the Lakers earned a berth in Saturday's (Mar. 7) semifinals with a 74-52 GLIAC Tournament victory over Northern Michigan on Wednesday night (Mar. 4) in Allendale. GVSU shot nearly 45 percent from the field, knocked down nine trifectas, and turned the ball over just three times in the quarterfinal win.
 
Wednesday's victory was the Lakers' third over Northern Michigan this season (their second at home) and pushes GVSU's overall record 20-7. It is the first 20-win season for Grand Valley State - the #4 seed in the tournament - since the 2010-11 campaign. Northern Michigan, the fifth seed, sees its season end with a 17-10 record.
 
GVSU will travel up north for the GLIAC semifinals. The Lakers are paired up with top seed and #9 nationally-ranked Michigan Tech, as the teams will meet in the Huskies' SDC Gymnasium in Houghton. Tipoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday.
 
In the other semifinal game, #3 Ashland will face #7 Walsh, who shocked second-seeded Wayne State, 72-71, on Wednesday. That contest will start at 2:30 p.m.
 
After earning a quarterfinal home game with a 104-73 drubbing of Ferris State in last Thursday's regular season finale, the Lakers made sure the home court advantage paid off. Grand Valley State improved to 13-2 inside the Fieldhouse Arena this season, which is the team's first 13-win home season since the 2005-06 National Championship year.

GVSU's appearance in Saturday's semifinal is the first semfinal berth for the Lakers since the 2008-09 campaign.
 
Four Lakers - including three starters - scored in double figures, led by sophomore Piper Tucker's 15 points. Tucker was very efficient from the field, going 6-of-9 overall and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Junior guard Brionna Barnett had a solid statline with 14 points, seven assists, four boards, and just one turnover in 26 minutes.
 
Off the bench, Jamie Botruff was terrific, pouring in 13 points in 21 minutes. The junior hit 5-of-7 shots, including a pair of triples, while adding three offensive boards and three steals. Sophomore Kayla Dawson supplied 10 points, a team-best seven boards, and also recorded three thefts.
 
Turnovers were the name of the game. The Lakers committed a mere three miscues (just one in the second half), which is the lowest single-game total since at least the 2002-03 season. On defense, GVSU forced Northern Michigan into 18 turnovers. That equaled a sizeable 23-3 advantage in points off turnovers for the home Lakers.
 
Northern Michigan would score the game's first four points, but after Tucker and senior Kat LaPrairie tied the score with consecutive jumpers, the Lakers would not trail again. Tucker added a three-pointer after LaPrairie's bucket to make the score 7-4 and GVSU would take off from there.
 
Back-to-back triples from Dawson and Botruff upped the Laker advantage to 15-8. Botruff's old-fashioned three-point play near the midway point of the first half gave GVSU a 20-10 cushion.
 
The Laker lead would swell to 38-21 with 70 seconds remaining in the half on another Botruff bucket, but Northern Michigan scored the final five points to make the score more respectable at 38-26 heading to the intermission. Tucker (10 points), Barnett (nine), and Botruff (eight) scored 27 of the team's 38 first half points.
 
Early in the second half, GVSU was on top 40-28 before the sophomore trio took control. Dawson scored on a layup, Tucker knocked down a jumper, classmate Taylor Lutz converted a layup, and Tucker ended the 9-0 surge with another three-pointer. It was 49-28 with 14:44 to go and the momentum completely in the Lakers' corner.
 
Barnett hit a long three-pointer, then corralled a defensive rebound on the next possession, raced down floor and found sophomore Janae Langs with a great pass for an easy layup. 13 seconds later - after another forced NMU turnover - LaPrairie buried a trifecta and the advantage was 61-33, GVSU.
 
Grand Valley State's advantage would push out to as many as 32 points thanks a solid shooting effort all the way around. The Lakers made 44.8 percent of their field goals, went 9-of-19 from downtown, and hit 13-of-15 free throws.
 
Northern Michigan was just 4-of-15 from three-point range and had only one player in double-digits. That was standout guard Alyssa Colla, who scored 21 points, but was just 7-of-23 from the field, and committed six of the Wildcats' 18 turnovers.
 
The Laker bench came through with a 20-9 scoring advantage, while Langs was the third GVSU player with three steals. She also dished out three assists.
 
In two previous meetings this season, Michigan Tech came away with a pair of wins over the Lakers. MTU was victorious 61-52 on Jan. 17 in Houghton before winning the rematch in Allendale on Feb. 7 by a 57-41 final.