Dec. 19, 2007

Final Stats

Nassau, Bahamas - Grand Valley State earned its seventh win in its last eight games despite playing without leading scorer Crystal Zick. The Lakers got a game-high 13 points from Erin Cyplik and 11 from Elizabeth Van Tiflin en route to a 52-49 win over St. Edwards in the first game of the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout. GVSU is now 7-3 on the year and plays in the Sunshine Shootout championship game tomorrow against Valdosta State.

Kim Wyngaard started the game off for Grand Valley, hitting two free throws 20 seconds into the game to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. Wyngaard finished the day with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds. GVSU got a layup from Nicole Carr and a three-pointer from Van Tiflin to open up a 7-0 lead early in the game. Three straight buckets from St. Edwards tied the game with 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

The game went back and forth for a while after that, eventually being tied at 17 and then again at 19. A long ball by Leah Starr with 3:26 left in the first half gave St. Edwards its first lead of the night, 22-19. Jocelyn Ingram, who started in place of Zick, hit a free throw to end the half, sending the teams into the locker room with St. Edwards up 22-20. Ingram played 32 minutes and recorded five points, five rebounds and three steals.

St. Edwards came out strong in the second half, jumping to a 28-22 lead just 2:44 into the period. Cyplik buried a three after an Ingram free throw to cut the lead to two at 28-26. Another three pointer and free throw in combination, this time from Van Tiflin and Kara Crawford, respectively, cut the lead to one at 33-32. With just less than nine minutes remaining in the game, that lead had crept back to two at 36-34.

Ingram hit another two free throws to tie the game, and then Lauren Buresh hit a jumper with 6:06 left to give the Lakers a lead that they never relinquished. Although St. Edwards tied the game at 38-38, they were never able to take the lead back. The Lakers hit two big three pointers down the stretch to stay ahead, and although St. Edwards threatened at the end, GVSU held on for a 52-49 win.