ALLENDALE, MICH. – The GVSU women's basketball team heads out for their final roadtrip of the regular season, heading to Purdue Northwest and Parkside this weekend. The Lakers and Pride square off Thursday night, then GVSU wraps up the weekend Saturday against the Rangers.
 
PNW: Live Stats | Video | Radio | 6:00 PM
Parkside: Live Stats | Video | Radio | 2:00 PM
 
The Lakers are riding a 13-game winning streak, following their defeats of LSSU and Ferris State last weekend. They are now 24-1 overall and 14-0 in league play, four games up in the standings. On Thursday against LSSU, GVSU trailed 11-8, then rattled off a 29-6 run to end the first half, leading 37-17. From there, they scored 46 points in the second half to win 83-41. Rylie Bisballe had 16 points, with Nicole Kamin scoring 12, then Abrie Cabana, Hadley Miller, and MacKenzie Bisballe each had 11. On Saturday, the Lakers blitzed Ferris State to lead 26-4 after the first quarter, then 44-13 at the break, cruising to a 78-57 win. MacKenzie led the way with 17 points, with Rylie posting 13 points and 13 rebounds. Kamin also scored 13 points, while Cabana and Miller both added 10 points. Rylie Bisballe moved into fifth-place in program history with 829 rebounds and 572 made field goals, and was named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
In the first game this season against Purdue Northwest, the Lakers destroyed the Pride 106-47, their largest margin of victory of the season. They led 56-19 at the break and never looked back, getting six players to score in double-figures. MacKenzie Bisballe led the way with 18 points, with Rylie Bisballe posting a 14-piont, 10-rebound double-double. Kathryn Schmidt had 13 points and five assists, with Avery Zeinstra scoring 12 points, Paige Vanstee 11 points, adding eight boards, and Ellie Droste scored 10. The Laker defense forced 27 turnovers, getting 41 points off those turnovers and they dominated on the glass, winning 50-29.
 
The loss earlier in the year to GVSU kicked off an ongoing five-game losing streak for the Pride, who are now 5-17 overall and just 2-12 in league play. Last weekend, they fell to both Parkside and Roosevelt. They have the GLIAC's worst defense, allowing 77.1 points per game, with their offense only generating 63.6 points on the other end. Two Pride players are averaging double-figures, with Alyssa Cole scoring 13 and Akyia Baker contributing 10.2. PNW has never beaten GVSU in their history, with GVSU leading the series 15-0.
 
The first matchup between the Lakers and the Rangers was a defensive for most of the game, as it was only 33-20 at the break, then 48-31 heading into the fourth. The Lakers exploded for a 24-point fourth quarter to pull away with a 72-43 win. The Rangers shot just 33% from the floor and 10% from three and had 23 turnovers. Molly Anderson scored a career-high eight points in the win, then four other Lakers had eight or more points.
 
Coming into the weekend, the Rangers have won three of four, and they sit fourth in the GLIAC standings at 9-5 in the league and 14-7 overall. The second-best rebounding team in the league, Parkside pulls down 41.1 boards a game, and 29.8 on the defensive end, ranking 11^th in the country. Four Rangers score in double-figures, led by Cassidy Arni's 13.1, while adding 6.3 rebounds. Chloe Van Zeeland scores 11.4 points and adds 5.3 rebounds, while Peighton Nelson and Sheridan Flauger are also over 10 points. Parkside is the second-best shot-blocking team in the conference as well, swatting away over four shots per contest, leading to opponents shooting just 37% against their defense.
 
How to Follow
Both games will be available to follow via live stats and live stream. You can also tune in on the radio on The Ticket (106.1 FM/1340 AM), Thunder Country (107.3 FM), or WLCS (98.3). For full coverage, follow along on social media @gvsuwbb and online at GVSUlakers.com.