The Grand Valley State women’s basketball team won their second straight NCAA Tournament title Saturday with a win over Indiana (Pennsylvania) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo courtesy of Grand Valley State University)

PITTSBURGH, PENN. — The Grand Valley State Lakers women’s basketball team etched their name in the history books once again, winning their second straight national championship, and the third in program history. The Lakers led wire-to-wire in a 72-49 victory over the Indiana (Pennsylvania) Crimson Hawks in the championship game Saturday.

Grand Valley State finished the season with a 36-1 record, winners of their final 15 games. They claimed their third national championship in program history, with the previous two coming in 2005-06 and 2024-25. Saturday’s title was on the one-year anniversary of last year’s title, also won in Pittsburgh.

The Lakers got out to an 8-0 lead, forcing an early Crimson Hawk timeout. IUP managed to get back within four points at 12-8, but Molly Anderson drilled a triple, then two Paige VanStee free throws put the Lakers up 17-8 after the first quarter.

Both teams traded baskets for the first four and a half minutes of the second quarter. The Lakers led 26-17, before going on an 11-0 scoring run, pushing their lead up to 20 points. IUP was able to cut their deficit to 17 points at the half, down 41-24.

IUP scored five of the first seven points of the second half, but VanStee ended the run with a triple, starting her own personal 8-0 run. The Laker lead stayed above 20 points the rest of the way, up 58-35 with 10 minutes to play.

Grand Valley State got their lead up to as much as 28 points with five and half minutes to play, coasting the rest of the way to clinch their third National Championship in program history, and the 33rd in the history of Grand Valley State.

VanStee, an Elite Eight All-Tournament Team member, scored a game-high 25 points, hitting 9-11 from the floor, adding nine blocks, three steals, and three blocks. The tournament’s Most Outstanding Player was Nicole Kamin, who tallied 18 points, five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. MacKenzie Bisballe recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks. As a defense, the Lakers held the Crimson Hawks to 31.1% shooting from the field and blocked 13 shots.

The graduating class of VanStee, Kamin, an Escanaba native, Anderson, Lexi Plitzuweit, whose mother played basketball at Michigan Tech, and Avery Zeinstra rewrote the record books in their time in Allendale. Over their time with the Lakers, they were a part of five GLIAC regular season titles, four GLIAC Tournament titles, three Midwest Regional crowns, three trips to the Final Four, and two National Championships.