Friday vs. Lubbock Christian:  Game Notes  l  Watch Link
Sunday vs. UIndy:  Game Notes  l  Watch Link

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico— The 19^th ranked Grand Valley State women's basketball team will look to improve upon an early 2-1 record this season as it faces a pair off opponents this weekend in the Puerto Rico Clasico. The Lakers will face 24th ranked Lubbock Christian (TX) on Friday, at 11:00 a.m. EST before facing the University of Indianapolis (3-1) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m EST.
 
The Lady Chaps are the defending NCAA Division II National Champions, having notched an undefeated 35-0 season in 2015, capped off by a 78-73 victory in the NCAA title game. After losing most of the players that led them to that title, the Lady Chaps find themselves at 3-2 this season, and their ranking of #24 being far from what it was last season.
 
Lubbock Christian is led in scoring by 6-4 forward Tess Bruffey, one of the returners from last season's championship team. Her averages of 16.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game lead the team, while fellow forward Bobbi Chitsey chips in 11 points per game. Bruffey is coming off a 20-point game against NAIA opponent Wayland Baptist University, leading the Lady Chaps above .500 for the first time on the season. After going undefeated in 2015, Lubbock Christian dropped their first two games of the 2016 season, and have ridden a three-game winning streak into a winning record.
 
Sunday's opponent, the University of Indianapolis, will pit the stout defense of Grand Valley State against three strong scorers for the Greyhounds in Sydney Brackmyre, Martha Burse and Sarah Costello. That trio accounts for an average of 50 points a game, while the Greyhounds score just about 65 points a game as a team. After racking up three wins to start the season, the Greyhounds were handily beaten by #5 Ashland on November 19^th, 88-66, and now sit at 3-1 ahead of the weekend tournament.
 
The Lakers come into the weekend tournament having beaten Rochester College by an 86-46 tally in their most recent game, a home contest at GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. In that game, senior Lindsay Baker led the Lakers with a team-high 17 points (5-10 3-Pt), as the Lakers shot 44 percent (29-65) from the field in the game and coasted to an easy third win of the season over the NAIA opponent. After putting up a season high 86 points against the Warriors, the Lakers are now averaging 79.3 points per contest, all while limiting their opponents to just 55.
 
Despite averaging a solid mark in scoring as a team, the Lakers are doing so without efficiently shooting the three-point basket. After hitting a team record 325 trifectas last season, the Lakers have just 21 makes through three games this season, and have converted just 26 percent of their attempts in the 2016 campaign.  The Lakers have remained effective on defense this season, holding opponents to 55 points a game on just 36 percent shooting from the field. The Lakers are second best in the GLIAC in both points-per-game and points allowed per game, trailing only fifth ranked Ashland in both categories.
 
After this weekend's tournament, the Lakers will return home to open GLIAC play, as they host the University of Findlay on Friday, December 1^st at 6:00 p.m., and Ohio Dominican University on Sunday, November 3^rd at 1:00 p.m. Those matches will be played at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Michigan.