Women's Basketball | 2/23/2026 5:38:00 PM
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – After dropping two key contests last week, Davenport enters the final stretch of the regular season with its GLIAC Tournament hopes still within reach.
At 5-13 in conference play, the Panthers hold a one-game lead over Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State, who both sit at 4-14. With only one of the three teams earning the final postseason spot, the race for eighth is coming down to the wire.
Davenport closes the year against #2 Grand Valley State and #13 Ferris State, while LSSU and SVSU each face Wayne State and Purdue Northwest. If results follow expectations, all three teams could finish 5-15. Head-to-head would then determine the tiebreaker. The Panthers split with LSSU (1-1) but were swept by SVSU (0-2) earlier in the season, meaning DU likely needs SVSU to drop both of its remaining games — or pull off an upset of its own — to secure a postseason berth.
This week also marks the final two home games of the season, highlighted by Saturday's Senior Day celebration prior to the 1:00 p.m. tip. Madison Fant, Nevaeh Williams, Hannah Schroeder and Ellie Toney will be honored for their contributions to the program.
Two seniors enter their final home stretch playing some of their best basketball. Toney poured in a season-high 25 points against Lake Superior State — just two shy of her career-best 27 set last season against Purdue Northwest — and finished the week with 47 total points. Williams delivered a career-high 28-point performance against SVSU while adding five rebounds, three assists and two steals, totaling 43 points on the week.
With postseason hopes hanging in the balance and Senior Day emotions in play, the Panthers will look to carry that momentum into a decisive final weekend on their home floor.
Scouting the Opponents
#2 Grand Valley St.
- The Lakers have suffered just one GLIAC loss all season, falling 78-77 to Wayne State on February 7. Their earlier matchup with the Warriors was just as tight, as GVSU escaped with an 81-80 victory. Grand Valley State enters the week with an overall record of 25-1, including a 17-1 mark in conference play.
- Grand Valley State is averaging 80.0 points per game while holding opponents to just 52.4. The Lakers are shooting 44.7 percent from the field as a team and have scored 80 or more points in 13 of their 25 games this season, surpassing the 90-point mark four times.
- Paige VanStee leads the team with a 15.4 scoring average, while MacKenzie Bisballe adds 13.6 points per game. VanStee also averages 6.3 rebounds and shoots an efficient 49.7 percent from the floor and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc. She impacts both ends of the floor, pacing the team with 2.5 steals per game.
- The Panthers are still searching for their first win in the all-time series against the Lakers, entering the matchup 0-19. The closest contest came on February 10, 2018, when Davenport fell by just nine points, 56-47. The next tightest margin came on February 17, 2022, in a 54-44 loss.
#13 Ferris St.
- The Bulldogs enter the week at 22-4 overall and 15-2 in GLIAC play. Ferris State has not lost since falling to Grand Valley State on January 19 and has since put together a nine-game winning streak.
- FSU will face Michigan Tech on Monday, Feb. 23 before closing the week with matchups against GVSU and Davenport, marking a challenging three-game stretch.
- Ferris State is averaging 79.8 points per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field as a team. A few FSU's top Bulldogs include…
- Kaydn Blanchard leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 16.8 points per game, totaling 437 points this season. She also contributes 5.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest.
- Mia Riley ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 16.3 points per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor.
- Mia Hiram provides efficiency inside, leading the team in field goal percentage at 51.0 percent (126-of-247).
- Historically, Ferris State leads the all-time series against Davenport, 11-1, including a 78-61 victory in the most recent meeting on Jan. 17, 2026.
Live Coverage:
Tuesday, Feb. 24 vs. Grand Valley St. (5:30 p.m.) - Live Video ($) -
Live Stats
Saturday, Feb. 28 vs. Ferris St. - (1:00 p.m.) Live Video ($) -
Live Stats
