GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport women's basketball team dropped a 57-53 decision to Lake Superior State on Thursday night at the DU Student Center. The game featured six ties and six lead changes with Davenport leading for 20:11 and Lake Superior State holding the lead for 13:28. The teams played an even first quarter with the score tied at 10 through 10 minutes. LSSU shot 28.6 percent in the quarter while DU shot 21.1 percent.
The Panthers took the lead into halftime 22-21 which was the fifth time this season they led at the break. The Panthers bumped up their shooting percentage to 30.8 while the Lakers also improved to 33.3 percent from the floor. The Lakers scored the first seven points of the third quarter to take a 28-22 lead.
Lillee Gustafson hit a pair of free throws at the 6:18 mark of the first points of the quarter for the Panthers. The team used their own 9-0 run to regain the lead at 31-28 as
Isabel Lindo nailed a triple at the 4:45 mark. The Panthers pushed their lead to 36-30 with 3:08 left in the quarter as Gustafson hit a layup to push her into double figures in scoring.
DU took a three-point lead of 39-36 into the fourth quarter and shot 35.3 percent including 2-for-4 from the arc in the third quarter. LSSU shot 38.5 percent overall and were 4-of-6 at the foul line. With DU holding a 43-38 lead with 6:55 remaining, the Lakers went on a 9-0 run over four-plus minutes to take a 47-43 advantage. Amanda Roach was big in the fourth quarter with 12 points and played all 10 minutes. The lead grew to 55-47 with 22 seconds left but the Panthers got it within one possession at 55-53 after a Lindo triple in the corner with 11 ticks left. CeCe Hacker calmly made two free throws to make it 57-53 and DU could not get a three-point shot off in the closing seconds.
Grace Bradford had a monster game for Lake Superior State despite being in foul trouble. She finished with 18 points and 21 rebounds (two shy of the school record) going 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Bradford had nine points and 13 rebounds in the second half alone. Gustafson recorder her 21st career double-double and eighth this season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She also had two assists and two steals. Lindo finished with 10 points giving her 11 games in double figures this season. She connected on 2-of-3 behind the arc.
Jaci Walker finished 6-of-7 at the foul line and also had five rebounds.
The Panthers will welcome No. 10 Ferris State to town on Saturday for senior day at 1:00 PM.
