BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Glenville State University head women’s basketball coach Kim Stephens watched her team inch closer to cutting down the nets at the NCAA Division II Eight Eight tournament.
On Wednesday night inside Bill Harris Arena, the third-seeded Pioneers used a dominant second half to run past No. 2 Grand Valley State, 77-53, in the Final Four and advance to Friday’s 8 p.m. (EST) championship game against either No. 1 North Georgia or No. 5 Western Washington.
Stephens, who was announced earlier in the day as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) D2 Coach of the Year, watched her team trail the 31-3 Lakers 29-27 at halftime.
GVSU entered the showdown allowing the fewest points in the country (49.8). GSU, which was led by Re’Shawna Stone’s game-high 19 points and Dazha Congleton’s 10-point, game-high 11-rebound double-double, came in averaging a D2-best 96.1 points.
Things were looking good for the Lakers at halftime. They scored the final five points before intermission with four of those coming from Ellie Droste for part of her team-high 14 counters.
The Pioneers shot just 31.4% (11 of 35) in the first half and missed on 11 of 12 attempts from beyond the arc.
However, a 7-0 spurt midway through the third quarter turned a 36-35 Glenville State deficit into a lead the Gilmer County-based program didn’t give up. A bucket by Skylar Davidson put the Pioneers (33-1) ahead for good. Stone drained a corner 3 from a Congleton assist with 40 seconds left to give Glenville State a 49-41 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Not long into the final period, Taychaun Hubbard hit from downtown and the Pioneer lead moved to 58-46 with 7:39 to play when Kaylee Pierce connected from deep. Abby Stoller’s trifecta with 4:19 left put the Lakers in a 70-49 hole. Grand Valley State, which allowed 70 points just once this season, watched GSU cross the barrier when Stoller added two foul shots with 2:10 remaining to make it 72-51.
Zakiyah Winfield finished with 16 points and Stoller had 15 markers with six rebounds for GSU, which shot 41.9% (26 of 62) while holding the Lakers to 37.9% (22 of 58). GVSU also missed 12 of 13 from beyond the arc and GSU finished 7 of 20 from 3.
Emily Spitzley scored a baker’s dozen in the setback. Hannah Kulas chipped in nine markers, Hadley Miller has six points and seven rebounds. Courtney Sharland led the Lakers, who held a slight 41-38 edge on the glass, with nine boards and a game-high two blocks.
Coach Stephens also received seven counters from Vendela Danielsson and five markers by Hubbard. Stone had a game-high four assists and Davidson collected a game-high four steals.
The Pioneers, who reached the Elite Eight for the third time in program history, made just nine turnovers and had a dozen steals. Grand Valley State entered the fray committing 12 turnovers a game, but the Pioneers forced 17.