March 21, 2005

Allendale, Mich. - The Grand Valley State women's basketball team wrapped up its final preparations Monday before heading out to the 2005 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Elite Eight in Hot Springs, Ark. Grand Valley State will play Seattle Pacific Wednesday (March 23) at 3 p.m. in quarterfinal action at Summit Arena. This is the Lakers' first-ever appearance in the NCAA DII Elite Eight.

"We are excited to get to Hot Springs and take in the Elite Eight atmosphere," said third-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. "Winning the Great Lakes Regional Championship and advancing to the Elite Eight is a wonderful accomplishment for this team, however, we are looking forward to playing Seattle-Pacific and seeing where our squad stacks up against the best teams in the country," added Plitzuweit.

Grand Valley State has won 22-of-its-last-23 games on the year and captured the school's first-ever GLIAC Tournament and NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional titles. The Lakers are 8-5 versus teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

• Lakers in the Polls: Grand Valley is ranked 9th in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Coaches' Poll this week. This is GVSU's highest ranking ever in the WBCA top 25. GVSU entered the poll February 15 in the 21st spot.

• Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit: Grand Valley State head coach Dawn Plitzuweit is 62-27 in three years as head coach at Grand Valley State. Plitzuweit has guided the Lakers to a 37-17 GLIAC record and an 8-2 postseason mark.

• Lakers In The NCAA Tournament: Grand Valley State is 5-5 all-time in NCAA DII Tournament action. This is GVSU's sixth appearance in the NCAA DII Tournament.

• The Series: This will be the first-ever meeting between Grand Valley State and Seattle-Pacific. Grand Valley State has series history with just one team, St. Cloud State, in the Elite Eight. The Lakers are 1-2 all-time versus the Huskies, with the last meeting between the teams coming in the second game of this season. St. Cloud State claimed a 74-73 overtime victory over GVSU in the Days Inn-Grand Haven Classic. The game was played in the GVSU Recreation Center because the Grand Valley State volleyball team was hosting the NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional volleyball tournament in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.

• Laker Facts: Grand Valley State has won a school-record 28 games this season...Grand Valley State four-point win versus Wisconsin-Parkside marked the first time this season that the Lakers have won a game decided by 10 points or less...GVSU has no player listed among the NCAA leaders, however, the Lakers are listed in several team categories. GVSU is 9th in scoring defense (54.4), 10th in scoring margin (18.9), 13th in field goal percentage (46.2), 22nd in rebounding margin (7.2) and 10th in the all important winning percentage (84.8)...The Lakers have 397 steals and have forced 712 turnovers this season...GVSU has held 14 opponents under 51 points during the 2004-05 campaign...GVSU has dished out 515 assists pulled down 463 offensive rebounds.

• Tough Tilts -- GVSU has five losses this season, but all five of those teams advanced to NCAA DII Regional action, including one (St. Cloud State) that advanced to the Elite Eight. (North Central: ND-1, St. Cloud State-7; Great Lakes: LSSU-2, MTU-4, Bellarmine-7). GVSU is 8-5 in 13 games versus NCAA Tournament teams.

• Home Sweet Home -- Grand Valley State finished 18-0 in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena this season and won all 18 games by an average margin of 77.4-53.7.

• Junior All-American candidate Niki Reams leads GVSU in scoring (18.8), rebounding (8.7), steals (73), shooting percentage (54/8) and free throw percentage (79.6)...Reams' 622 points is third on the single-season list, and her 287 rebounds is seventh...Niki was the NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional Tournament MVP and the GLIAC Tournament MVP...She was named the 2004-05 Daktronics Great Lakes Region Co-Player of the Year and Daktronics First-Team All-Region...Reams was named the GLIAC Player of the Year and also earned All-GLIAC First Team and North Division All-Defensive First Team honors...Reams has tallied 14 double-doubles this season, including three in the Lakers' last five games...Niki has pulled down 10-plus rebounds 16 times this season...Reams has scored in double figures in 18 straight games and 22-of-the-last-23...She is averaging 23.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in the Lakers' last six games.

• Senior guard Janine Guastella is averaging 8.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this season...Janine has scored in double figures 11 times this season...Guastella has 83 assists, 67 steals and a career-high 38 three-pointers this season...Janine averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games and was named to the NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional All-Tournament Team.

• Sophomore guard Erika Ryskamp set the GVSU single-season record with 66 made three-pointers this season...Her 93 three's is ninth on the all-time list...Ryskamp hit 42.3 percent from the three-point line...Erika is second on the team in scoring (12.6), third in assists (86) and steals (66)...Erika has scored in double figures in 19-of-the-last-21 games...Erika nearly recorded just the second double-double in school history with 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds vs. Gannon in the GLIAC final...Ryskamp was named to the All-GLIAC North Division Second Team and the North Division All-Defensive First-Team... In addition, Erika was named to the GLIAC All-Tournament team and the NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional All-Tournament Team...Ryskamp averaged 14.0 points, and 3.3 assists per game in the Great Lakes Regional...Ryskamp also hit 9-of-13 (.692) three-pointers.

• Sophomore forward Julia Braseth is fifth on the team in scoring (8.2) and second in rebounding (6.0)...Julia is shooting 51.7 percent from the floor, second on the squad...Braseth recorded her second double-double in five games with a 17-point, 10-rebound outing versus Indianapolis in semifinal action of the Great Lakes Regional...Braseth is averaging 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last six games...In addition to being named to both the GLIAC and Great Lakes Regional All-Tournament teams, Braseth was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team...Braseth averaged 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in Great Lakes Regional action...Julia also shot 57.9 percent (11-19) from the floor and 84.6 percent (11-13) from the free throw line in NCAA tourney action.

• Freshman guard Crystal Zick has had a sensational freshman campaign, starting all 33 games as a true freshman...Zick leads the team in assists (110) and assist/turnover ratio (1.5-1.0), while ranking third in scoring (8.8)...Crystal is also fourth in three-pointers made (24) and steals (54)...Zick has scored in double figures 18 times this season and has four or more assists 15 times...Crystal averaged 8.3 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in three NCAA Tournament games...Zick also dished out a career-high eight assists in the Great Lakes Regional title game versus Quincy.

• Freshman center Rachael Willett turned in a solid NCAA Great Lakes Regional Tournament...Willett averaged 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in three tournament games...Willett scored nine points, including six in a 90 second span versus Quincy in the Great Lakes Regional title game.

• Grand Valley State shot 50.0 percent from the floor (76-152), 59.1 percent from the three-point line (26-44) and 71.2 percent (52-73) from the free throw line in three NCAA DII Great Lakes Regional tournament games. The Lakers averaged 19 assists and 8.3 steals per game. GVSU's opponents turned the ball over 51 times and shot 40 percent from the floor.