at Lake Superior State (Thursday, 5:30 p.m.): Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes
 
vs. Northwood (Saturday, 6:00 p.m.): Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Game Notes

ALLENDALE, Mich.-- The Grand Valley State women's basketball team is playing it's best basketball of the season as of late, having gone 5-1 in their last six matches, all against GLIAC foes, to rise up the North Division Standings into a tie for second with Michigan Tech. This weekend, the Lakers will travel to face Lake Superior State (3-13, 2-8 GLIAC) on the road on Thursday night, before returning home to host Northwood University (9-7, 5-5 GLIAC) at home on Saturday evening.
 
There are links above to follow along to the live video feed  and radio broadcast of both games, as well as links to follow the live stats. The games will be aired on WTKG-AM 1230, with fifth year play-by-play announcer DJ Foster calling the action.
 
Thursday's opponent, Lake Superior State, averages the second lowest scoring average in the conference in GLIAC games, with 54.8 points per game. The LSSU Lakers come into the matchup with a shooting line of .385/.332/.731 (FG/3Pt/FT), good for 11th, seventh and sixth in the league, respectively. Lake Superior State will come into the game desperately seeking a win, having none in their five most recent games, and having lost each of those games by double-digit points.
 
Wins against Grand Valley have been hard to come by for the LSSU Lakers, as the all time series remains firmly in the favor of GVSU (53-37), most recently including Grand Valley's 67-57 win in Sault Ste. Marie last season on February 12^th.  In that Laker win, Brionna Barnett led the way with 20 points, while Piper Tucker chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds.  The last time Grand Valley dropped a game to Lake Superior State was on February 4^th, 2012, a 42-51 loss in Allendale.
 
With first year head coach Mike Williams leading the way, the Lakers have become a dominant defensive force in the GLIAC, allowing opponents to shoot just .371/.309/.708 against them, and giving up just 55.6 points per game. That mark is the 16^th best scoring defense per game in Division II, and is the result of the Lakers holding eight opponents below 60 points this season (six of those held below 50 points). In last Thursday's game against Northern Michigan, Grand Valley held the Wildcats under 20 percent for the game (17.8%), the first time the Lakers had done that since a 2004 victory over Marygrove. 
 
On Saturday, the Lakers return to the friendly confines of GVSU Fieldhouse Arena, where the team is 8-1 on the season, for the first Saturday night game of the season. Saturday's have been kind to GVSU thus far, as they are a perfect 6-0 in games played on Saturday this season.  Northwood will be coming off of a five point loss to North Division leader Saginaw Valley State, and plays Ferris State on Thursday before coming to GVSU Fieldhouse Arena on Saturday. In matchups between the two teams all time, the Lakers own a healthy advantage, 52-17, however the two teams split last season, as an 86-73 Laker win at Northwood in January was avenged by a 57-63 Northwood win at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena in February.
 
Led by junior forward Jordyn Nurenberg (17.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg) and senior guard/forward Lauren Robak (15.5 ppg), the Timberwolves and the Lakers are basically tied in GLIAC scoring with 72.3 and 72.2 points per game, respectively.  The Timberwolves shoot 43 percent from the field as a team, and 34 percent from beyond the arc, but the area where they have excelled is drawing contact and getting to the free throw line. Northwood leads the GLIAC overall in both free throw attempts (364) and makes (258), and are converting 71 percent of attempts this season.
 
Grand Valley is led in scoring by junior Kayla Dawson, who averages 15.9 points per game, and at 848 career points, is just 152 away from joining the 1,000 point club. GVSU has also benefitted from the re-emergence of winger Bailey Cairnduff, who leads the team with 32 triples and has steadily raised her scoring average throughout the season to now sit at 11.0 points per contest. Cairnduff's skillset was on display in last Saturday's win over Michigan Tech, when she led the way with 18 points (6-9 FG, 4-5 3-pt) and also chipped in seven rebounds and three steals as well. Each member of the Laker's starting lineup has shown the ability to step up and be a scorer, and the Lakers sit at the 4^th best shooting mark in the conference thanks to an improved shot selection and a fluid offense.
 
Tip off for Thursday's game is set for 5:30 pm in Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Saturday night's game is set for a 6 p.m start at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Michigan.