ALLENDALE, Mich. – The #3 ranked Grand Valley State women's basketball team fell in a top-3 showdown to #2 ranked Ashland, 77-52, in front of 2,103 fans at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena Saturday afternoon. The Lakers drop to 21-2 overall and 13-2 in league play, while the Eagles improve to 23-0 and 15-0 in the GLIAC.
 
Senior center Cassidy Boensch posted a double-double with 18 points/10 rebounds and senior forward Maddie Dailey was the only other Laker in double-figures, scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. As a team, the Lakers struggled behind the three-point arc, shooting just 14.3% and shot a season-low 32.3% from the field. Ashland held the edge in rebounds (39-36), points in the paint (44-36), and steals (11-4) while finishing with an impressive 51.7 field goal percentage.
 
GVSU jumped out to a 4-0 advantage and led 9-4 halfway through the first quarter before Ashland went on a pair of 6-0 runs to lead 20-14 at the quarter break. The Eagles took control of the contest early in the second frame by going on a 12-0 run and grew their lead to 32-14 with 5:50 remaining in the half. Ashland led 39-23 at the halftime break.
 
The Lakers would cut the deficit to 14 points at 47-33 with 4:09 left in the third quarter but the rest of the half was all Ashland, increasing their lead late in the third to seal the victory.
 
GVSU will host Saginaw Valley State on Thursday (Feb. 13) at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena with the tip set for 6:00 PM.