HAMMOND, IND. – Riding a six-game winning streak, including four straight on the road, the GVSU women's basketball team put that streak on the line against Purdue Northwest. A back-and-forth game for most of the first three quarters, the Lakers took a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter, then had to withstand a late Pride run to come away with a 55-53 victory. With the win, GVSU is now 22-2 overall and 13-1 in league play with four games left in the regular season.
 
PNW opened the game on a 12-4 run over the first seven and a half minutes of the game. The rest of the way, GVSU clawed back, ending on a 7-0 run, but still trailed 12-11 at the end of one.
 
Paige Vanstee gave GVSU their first lead of the game at 15-13 early in the second quarter. Neither team was able to build much of the lead until late, when the Lakers ended the quarter on a 6-2 run to go up 26-22 at the break.
 
Grand Valley was able to build their lead to nine points midway through the third quarter, as they had a 6-0 run to go up 39-30. After the Pride brought it down to six, Abrie Cabana buried a three-pointer to put the Lakers back up by nine. That is how the quarter ended with GVSU up 43-34.
 
Avery Zeinstra and Molly Anderson each hit a triple early in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers the largest lead of  the game at 51-38. From that point on it was all PNW. The Pride ended the game on a 15-4 run, getting a look at a game-winning three, but it would not fall, and the Lakers escaped with the win.
 
Rylie Bisballe had a team-high 14 points, while adding three steals and two blocks. Nicole Kamin stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Paige Vanstee scored eight points and Lexi Plitzuweit pulled down seven boards.
 
Up Next
The Lakers return home for the first time in February for two matchups next week. GVSU takes on Ferris State Thursday night at 6:00, then they close out their home schedule with a game against LSSU Saturday afternoon at 1:00.