Pittsburg State Athletics
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team conjured up yet another amazing NCAA Division II National Tournament second half comeback bid, but the Gorillas couldn't quite fully pull it off.
Top-seeded Grand Valley State University built a 13-point advantage early in the third quarter in the Final Four match-up Wednesday (Mar. 26), then withstood a furious Pitt State rally that saw the Gorillas pull ahead midway through the third period. The Lakers eventually wrestled the lead back from Pitt State in the fourth quarter and held off the Gorillas in the game's final minute for a 68-61 victory at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
Grand Valley State (37-2) advances to the 2024-25 NCAA Division II National Championship Game Friday (Mar. 28) where the Lakers will meet No. 3 seed California State University-Dominguez Hills, which defeated Union (Tenn.) University, 68-50, in its national semifinal match-up. Pitt State's record-breaking season ends with a 33-4 mark, a program record for victories (33) and winning percentage (.892).
Pitt State, which trailed by double-digit point totals in the Central Regional semifinals and finals at John Lance Arena earlier this month, exploded for a 15-2 third quarter run that turned a 37-24 deficit into a tie game, 39-39, on Grace Pyle's (McPherson, Kan.) three-point play with 5:42 to play in the stanza.
GVSU's Nicole Kamin made one of two free throws for a 40-39 Lakers edge, but Pitt State's Harper Schreiner gave the Gorillas their first lead, 41-40, on an inside basket with 4:24 to play in the quarter.
Pitt State's last lead came with 27 ticks remaining in the third quarter when Hannah Nilges hit a 3-pointer for a 46-44 Gorillas edge.
The Lakers tied the game at 46-46 in the final seconds of the period then held Pitt State scoreless for the first three-plus minutes of the fourth quarter to push in front, 54-46, with 6:41 to play in the game.
The Gorillas twice battled back to within two points - 58-56 on a 3-pointer by Pyle and 60-68 on a bucket by Karenna Gerber (Halstead, Kan.) with 2:29 to play in regulation.
The Lakers pushed the lead back to four on a basket by Kamin with 1:28 to go and Pitt State's Maycee James was called for an offensive foul to thwart a Gorillas possession at the 1:07 mark.
The two teams traded missed shots before GVSU's Paige Vanstee made two free throws for a 64-58 Lakers lead with 18 seconds to go. GVSU added two more free throws for an eight-point cushion before Pyle hit a 3-pointer with six seconds left. The Lakers, who owned a 14-2 advantage at the free throw line in the game, closed it out with two more charity shots with two seconds to play.
Pyle led all scorers with 25 points on nine for 18 shootings. She made six 3-pointers in the contest. Gerber added 13 points and eight rebounds. Nilges and James finished with six points apiece.
The Lakers, who forced the Gorillas into an uncharacteristic 20 turnovers in the contest, got 21 points from Kamin, 17 from Rylie Bisballe and 11 from Vanstee.