ALLENDALE, MICH. – The Grand Valley State women's basketball team unveiled their 2024-25 National Championship banner pregame, then took care of Saginaw Valley State 92-45 during the game. GVSU is now 8-0 to begin the season and a perfect 2-0 in GLIAC play.
 
The Lakers jumped out to a 14-0 lead, getting the first six points from Paige VanStee. SVSU got on the board with a layup, but it was quickly answered by a triple from VanStee. After two Cardinal free throws, GVSU ended the quarter with a 10-0 run, getting threes from Avery Zeinstra and Molly Anderson to make it 27-4 after 10 minutes of play.
 
Continuing their scoring run into the second quarter, the Lakers pushed their lead up to 38-4. SVSU countered with an 8-2 run, cutting it to 40-12, but GVSU kept their foot on the gas pedal, finishing the half with an 11-4 scoring run, capped off by a Sydney Cherney three at the buzzer.
 
With GVSU leading 51-15 after 20 minutes of play, the two teams traded baskets for majority of the third quarter, until four late points from MacKenzie Bisballe put the Lakers up by 41 points, 69-28, heading into the fourth.
 
After Saginaw Valley was able to bring their deficit to 35 points three and a half minutes into the final quarter, Cherney buried two more triples as part of a 10-0 Laker run to put them up 86-41. A Tayla Dillard layup would cap off the scoring and put GVSU up by 47, what would be their largest lead of the day.
 
Paige VanStee scored a team-high 18 points, while adding nine steals, setting a new career-high and she was one steal away from tying the program record. MacKenzie Bisballe tallied 14 points, while Molly Anderson had 10 points. Avery Lay recorded nine points and six rebounds.
 
Up Next
The Lakers go back to nonconference play next Saturday, hosting Quincy at 1:00.