Women’s Basketball Falls to Davenport in Series Closer

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Lake Superior State women’s basketball team dropped the second game of a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) weekend series to the Davenport University Panthers by a final score of 77-57 on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the DU Student Center in Grand Rapids, Mich.

First Half

The Lakers opened the game with a strong first quarter, outscoring the Panthers, 17-14. Jaden Wilder opened the scoring in the game with a layup on the first play to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead. 

After back-and-forth scoring between the two teams, the Lakers fell behind (12-10) but a layup from Mattison Rayman followed by a three pointer from Wilder would put the Lakers back ahead, 13-12 at the halfway point of the quarter. 

Taylor Bryant, who led the Lakers with six points in the first quarter, who capitalized on a defensive rebound and scored on a jump shot to give the Lakers a 17-14 lead heading into the second quarter. 

In the second quarter, the Lakers offense struggled to break through the Panthers defense. LSSU scored eight points while Davenport put up 26 points in the quarter to take a 40-25 lead at the half. 

Second Half

The Lakers would respond with a strong third quarter against the Panthers as each team scored 18 points. 

Freshman Hailey Voelker would score the first five points for the Lakers in the third quarter as she made a layup and added a three pointer. Rayman, who led the Lakers with eight points in the quarter, scored six straight points for the Lakers to cut Davenport’s lead to 14 points (51-36). 

Jozie Bontrager would score on a shot from beyond the arc with 1:24 and the third quarter would close with the Lakers trailing by 15 points, 58-43. 

In the fourth quarter, the Lakers were unable to rally and overcome the deficit. The Lakers would score 14 points compared to 19 points from the Panthers and the game would end in a 77-57 final. 

Breaking Down the Game

Rayman led the team with her second straight double-double as she recorded 15 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Wilder joined Rayman as the two Lakers with double-digit point totals in the game as she posted 11 points against the Panthers. 

The Lakers finished the game with a 29.7 shooting percentage, going 19-for-64 against Davenport. On the other end of the floor, the Panthers went 27-for-65 in the game to total a 41.5 shooting percentage. Lake Superior outrebounded Davenport, 43-42, in the game.

What’s Next

The Lakers will return to the Bud Cooper Gymnasium next weekend to match up against the Northwood University Timberwolves in a weekend series. The first game is set for a 6:00 p.m. tipoff on Friday, Feb. 12 while the closing game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Follow the Lakers

Due to State of Michigan, GLIAC and Lake Superior State University mandates, fans are not currently permitted to attend any Laker sporting events. Even though spectators cannot currently attend Laker home games, there are still a number of ways that fans will be able to follow the game action. All Laker home games during the 2021 season will be available to watch live on Stretch TV. For more information or to sign up for a subscription, visit https://portal.stretchinternet.com/lssu/. Fans can also tune in to the radio broadcast on ESPN 1400, the official radio station of Laker basketball.

For more information, visit lssulakers.com