The Michigan machine rolls on.
The Grand Valley State women’s basketball team claimed its second consecutive NCAA Division II championship Saturday at IUP’s expense.
And it wasn’t close.
Paine VanStee scored 25 points to lead the Michigan-based Lakers to a 72-49 rout of IUP at Duquesne’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for their third national title and second in a row.
Grand Valley State ended its season on a 15-game winning streak following its only loss, a 78-77 setback to Wayne State (Mich.) on Feb. 7.
The Lakers came back to beat Wayne State, 90-70, in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference semifinals March 14 before winning its fifth consecutive GLIAC championship.
Grand Valley State (36-1) jumped to an 8-0 lead and was never challenged.
MacKenzie Bisballe and Nicole Kamin added 18 points each for Grand Valley State, located in Allendale, Mich.
Teresa Maggio led IUP (31-4) with 20 points.
The Crimson Hawks saw an eight-game winning streak end, dating to a 71-62 loss to Gannon on Feb. 28. A week later, IUP returned the favor by beating Gannon, 61-57, in the PSAC championship game.
With IUP settling for national runner-up, the PSAC will try again Sunday to produce a Division II basketball title as PSAC men’s champion Gannon (33-3) takes on Peach Belt Conference champion Lander (30-5) at 1 p.m. at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Gannon advanced to the championship game following a 98-80 victory over Oklahoma Baptist in Friday’s semifinals at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
In the women’s game, Grand Valley State established itself from the opening tip, scoring eight consecutive points before IUP could blink.
The quicker Lakers continually beat IUP to loose balls and dominated the boards in the first half.
It didn’t stop after halftime.
After outrebounding IUP, 20-12, in the first half and shooting 60.7% to the Crimson Hawks’ 32.1, the Lakers finished the game with a 35-28 edge on the glass.
They wound up at 62.2% shooting (28 for 45), whereas IUP finished at 31.1% (19 for 61).
Maggio, IUP’s second-leading scorer, retreated to the bench midway through the first quarter with two fouls and played sparingly until halftime.
