THE BASICS
Score:at Grand Valley State 95, No. 5 Gannon 72
Records: Grand Valley State (3-0), Gannon (3-2)
Location: Allendale, Mich.  |  GVSU Fieldhouse Arena
The Short Story: The No. 5 Gannon women's basketball team was unable to overcome a 22-point first half deficit, as the Lady Knights fell to host Grand Valley State, 95-72, Saturday afternoon at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The loss marked the second straight for the Lady Knights despite registering their best shooting-performance of the season. The teams combined for 26 three-pointers with each squad connecting on 13 attempts. Both squads shot above 40-percent from the field in the game with the undefeated Lakers shooting 60-percent. Four Lady Knights finished with double-digit scoring, as the team was led by senior Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) with 15 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- With the scored knotted at 6-6, Grand Valley State erupted on a 12-0 run by shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for an 18-6 lead with 14:27 left in the first half.
- The Lady Knights stalled the Lakers' run following a successful visit to the charity stripe by senior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist). The Lakers heated right back up to extend their lead to 25-11with 11:42 left. Besides the visit to the foul line by Blake, the only Lady Knights' basket on seven attempts came off a three from senior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County).
- Scoring eight unanswered points, the Lakers pushed their lead to 36-17 with under seven minutes remaining in the first half. The Lakers captured a 20-point lead, 39-19, with 6:12 remaining off a three from leading scorer Kat LaPrairie before freshman McKenna Shives (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) answered with her second three of the first half.
- With 2:10 left, Shives' third trey of the game moved the Lady Knights to within 17, 46-29. The Lakers closed out the half with five straight points to take a 51-29 lead into the break.
- Beginning with 1:56 left in the first stanza, the Lakers' 9-0 run continued 1:26 into the second half as the host squad took a 55-29 advantage. During the run, the Lady Knights went 0-for-5 from the field.
- In the fourth minutes of the second half, a pair of three pointers by the Lakers pushed their widest margin to 27 on two occasions, 60-33, and 63-36.
- In the final 11:25 of the game, the Lady Knights and Lakers played tight down the stretch. The Lady Knights finished the game outscoring the Lakers, 26-25, during the span.
 
GAME NOTES
- Sebald led Gannon with 15 points. Sebald added a season-high seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in a season-best 34 minutes. She shot 6-for-10 from the field and went 3-for-6 from behind the arc.
- Blake picked up her third double-double of the season with 13 points and a team-best 10 rebounds.
- Junior Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio / Westerville South) tied a season-high of 14 points, while Batts added 13 points. Neighbors also recorded a season-high four assists.
- The Lady Knights had their best shooting-performance of the season, connecting on 42.6-percent (26-61) of their shots from the field and 40.6-percent (13-32) from the three. The Lakers converted on 60-percent (36-60) from the floor and 65.7-percent (13-20) beyond the arc.
- The Lady Knights controlled the glass with a 33-29 rebound advantage in the loss.
- In back-to-back losses, the Lady Knights registered in the turnover battle. The Lakers only recorded eight giveaways, while the Lady Knights finished with 13.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Grand Valley State leads the all-time series against Gannon by a count of 12-6. The Lakers have claimed eight of the last 10 meetings between the two squads and hold a 1-9 home record in the series.
- Blake has collected double-figure rebounds in six consecutive games dating back to last season in the NCAA Atlantic Regional semifinals against Edinboro. With a double-double this afternoon, she now owns 22 in her career.
- The Lady Knights and the Lakers were former conference opponents during the Maroon and Gold's 13-year stay in the GLIAC.
- In 31 minutes of action, junior Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) eclipsed 1,000-career minutes bringing her career total to 1,016.
- The Lady Knights are ranked fifth in the latest USA Today Sports NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll.
- Entering the game, the Lakers outscored their previous two opponents by an average margin of 36 points.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon returns home to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action when the team hosts Western Division opponent Clarion Dec. 3, at the Hammermill Center. As part of a conference doubleheader, the Lady Knights open the day's action at 5:30 p.m.