ALLENDALE, MICH. – The GVSU women's basketball team returns home after a weekend on the road for two more GLIAC matchups. The Lakers take on the Pride of Purdue Northwest Thursday night, then on Saturday for Sawyer's Day they face off against Parkside.
 
PNW: Live Stats | Video | Tickets | 6:00 PM
Parkside: Live Stats | Video | Tickets | 1:00 PM
Radio links: Thunder Country | WLCS | The Ticket

Thurday will be Coaches vs Cancer Night and it will be a pink out in the arena, with teams, coaches, and fans all donning pink for the event. On Saturday, the Lakers are no more, as they once again change their name to the Sawyer's for their annual fauxback game. This is the fifth edition of Sawyer's Day, and GVSU has not lost as the Sawyers since the introduction of the game. 
 
Now at 15-2 after splitting last weekend to LSSU and Ferris State, GVSU is tied atop the conference standings with the Bulldogs at 6-1. Grand Valley started out slow against LSSU, only up seven at the half, but they outscored them 28-2 in the third quarter to pull away for a 69-25 win. Abrie Cabana led the way with 12 points, while Ellie Droste added 11, and Rylie Bisballe had 10. On Saturday, the top two teams in the league matched up in Big Rapids. After a tight first quarter, the Bulldogs were able to build up a 20-point lead part way through the third quarter. From there, the Lakers battled back to cut it down at three, but it was not enough as FSU got the 71-65 win.
 
The Lakers played Purdue Northwest three times last season, twice in the regular season and once again in the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal round. GVSU won all three matchups, with only one being close. That close game was the first of the three, as the two teams met up down in Hammond, Indiana, with the Lakers taking a 62-54 win. Droste paced GVSU with 17 points on 7-10 shooting, with Kamin adding 10 points. In the second regular season matchup, the Lakers dominated in an 88-47 win, as Bisballe scored 14 points and grabbed nine boards and Cabana scored 10. Finally, in the quarterfinal round, GVSU got out to a 10-point lead after the first quarter and never let the Pride back in it, taking a 60-43 win.
 
This season, PNW is 7-10 overall and 2-5 in league play, and they enter losing three consecutive games. Their only wins in conference play have come at the hands of SVSU and LSSU, while they have lost to Ferris State, MTU, NMU, Wayne State, and Parkside. The Pride are led by the second and third leading scorers in the conference, with Dash Shaw second, averaging 17.1 points, and Mercedes Simmons is third at 16 a game. Simmons is also second in the GLIAC with 9.4 rebounds a game and her 2.6 blocks lead the league. The Pride have never beaten the Lakers across their 11 total matchups since PNW entered the GLIAC back in 2017.
 
Last year Grand Valley and Parkside played twice during the regular season, with GVSU coming out victorious in both. Grand Valley trailed for most of the first game but made a fourth-quarter comeback to force overtime, where they won 83-73. Droste scored 12 points in the win, with Kamin and Cabana each scoring 11. In the second game, GVSU trailed at the half, but they outscored the Rangers by 20 in the second half to pull away with a 75-57 win. Kamin led the way with 20 points, while Hadley Miller had 13 points and eight boards.
 
Parkside is fourth in the conference entering the weekend at 5-2 in the league and 10-5 overall. They lost their most recent game to NMU on Saturday, but they had won four straight prior to that setback. The Rangers have two players averaging double-figures, with Paty Gallasova scoring 12.2 a game and Sheridan Flauger adding 12.1 per contest. As a team, the Rangers shoot a league-leading 47.4% from the field and 34.2% from distance, which ranks second in the GLIAC. Parkside has already beaten two top-10 ranked teams this season, taking down #8 Minnesota Duluth in the opening weekend of the season, and then beating fifth-ranked Ferris State to begin GLIAC play.
 
How to Follow
Both games will have live stats, live video, and they will be able to be heard on the radio as well. Saturday's game will also be available to be watched on WXSP Grand Rapids channel 15. For full coverage of the game, including live in-game updates, follow @gvsuwbb on Twitter and visit gvsulakers.com.