>> Welcome back to an all-new socially distant episode of the Grand Valley State sports report on WGVU.

I'm your host Jake Levy on today's episode, the GSU swimming and diving team swept a terrible meets this week on both the men's and women's side GSU men's basketball completed.

The U P sweep this week.

The first time since 2010 GSU women's basketball also snagged 2 dozen UPI against Michigan Tech in northern Michigan are featured this week highlights a pair of Laker guards on the GSU women's basketball team lock in Laker nation as the Grand Valley State was report starts right now.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] GSU men's basketball got the job done on the road this week as they swept both UPI games for the first time since 2010 teams now 12 in 3 overall and 6, 2, in conference play.

And joining us now is that covid Wesley coach 3 wins in a row, including 2 really tough ones on the road in the U P congratulations on a great week had to be a fun trip for you.

>> I really was.

You know, it's always a challenge to go.

The U P a you know, they've got good teams.

Number one, Luke is one of the it is the longest trip that we have as a different feeling than any other trip know.

UPI is a beautiful place, but it it's a long ways.

It's cold.

It's a snow.

It just it's a it's a tough trip.

So to come out.

There were 2 wins.

We could be more happy.

>> As I said, is the first time he won both games on that same trip since 2010.

Put that into perspective for us what that means.

You and your team.

>> Well, I just means we played well, you know, I means we've got a good team.

We have felt that way all along.

Love that.

Take a week off and celebrated noises.

A great you know, we got a couple W better than the couple Wells.

As for sure.

Think we learned some things from our team.

I'm like, how are benches?

Come along.

Seems like we're right where we need to be announced this American.

We keep it.

Don't.

>> The Michigan Tech is kind of in that mess is for you guys.

These last few years back and forth battle to be gotten over time a couple years ago, a close win ugly actor.

And last year it was another tight one throughout this a little more offensive.

There's a new games have been with Michigan Tech.

But back and forth.

This one went the guys to grind out at the end there on the road in that environment with that band has really just been on the way the guys finished a country once again, an absolute monster for us.

>> Yeah, it really was.

It's surprising is a look at the film that we scored as many points as we did because I thought their defense was really tough.

I thought our defense was really top typically when we play them its first team that 60 winds actually get more than 60 points.

Is is a real challenges.

And so, you know, from a fan standpoint really was just a great game was pretty well played wasn't many turnovers.

A lot of really good plays.

And you know, we're just fortunate.

We're fortunate that we're there.

In the end we made our a little bit of a run there in the 2nd half.

It was just enough to get the job done.

But with Bell in white, those are really 2 of the best front line guys in our conference and to see them go against Christian.

And Jake really was a great game.

>> Yeah.

Quickly.

Can you talk about a Christian get on the defense and us and the basically man, Mark Owen why he can shoot the 3.

You can get to the rim he's at.

But if you asked a lot of Christian defensively in that game.

He really delivered to people like Jack.

>> Yeah, there's no question.

One of the reasons we're where we're at is the uniqueness of Christian Ron and his ability to protect our basket block shots, hold his own against the big guys.

But then also be able to go out on the perimeter and chase guys around.

I don't know that there's anybody else in our conference that has that kind of defensive versatility.

It gives us an element.

You know that we will try to use to our advantage.

So, you know, no matter how you you choose in that game.

Rendon white.

It's it's it's a tough it's a tough choice to be made.

We went with putting a model in white linen, Jake, for the most part, guard.

Trent Bell and you're not going to stop owns white matter what.

But we did make him work for everything.

You got.

>> Absolutely the turnaround on Saturday at Northern Michigan.

Another tough opponent to play.

You jump out to a 14 nothing lead to do that.

Wouldn't last right.

Northern Michigan on their homes and they're going to battle back the winds of 3838 at halftime.

It was 5653 in favor of then they get a technical foul called you guys going up 14.

Oh run to kind of put that game away.

Take us through that momentum shift there in the 2nd half.

>> How we got to find that extra gear.

Yeah.

It was crazy.

The start was unbelievable.

I hope it kept go on.

But to anybody a 100 to nothing.

So I knew it probably wasn't going to last.

But you know, thank God we had that run.

It helped as weather the storm there in the 1st half.

They came back and then the 2nd half.

But just to just kind of went back and forth.

They've got a good team.

They've been one of the hottest teams in our conference here as of late.

You know, they really shoot the 3 ball.

Well, their guard play was outstanding in.

We had again, we had just just enough.

We had some key plays, you know, down the stretch and then at the end of that, Jake kind of brought it home for us with some big buckets late, but this game could have gone either way.

And, you know, I think our veteran I liked our calm this late in the game.

You know, we we've been there.

Maybe is that we're tired whole miss mistaking tiredness recall this.

But we've been there before.

We we sort of know how we want to finish games.

We had a couple mistakes.

But in the end, our excuse was pretty good right there in the last minute or so.

>> You've been to bring in 23 points.

11 rebounds in 25 minutes last time you played area 39 points in that double overtime for all the U.S. took away from them a great road trip keep won 3 in a row.

Now you get the really tough stretch your Cup.

6 games in 12 gate days.

You have 3 games at home this week, starting with the crosstown foe Davenport.

Your former assistant birch of the really tough week for us.

>> Yeah.

Is this is a this is really a crazy time was the the covid situation.

We have these 2 cancellations and trying to make them up, trying to give our guys a chance to play as many games we can hopefully it's not going to be to our detriment, to our bench is really going to be challenge here the next couple weeks.

Davenport is the first lawn.

They're very athletic team Randall and Rollins.

Their guard combination is as good as it gets in our conference.

Randall has just been on fire here lately.

Really.

I don't know if he'll new player of the week this week.

But very well could be the player of the week, even though both of their games didn't go the way they want.

He individually played outstanding.

So our defense is really going to be challenges are very athletic.

They've had their success here in our court.

They come over here and knock this off a couple times.

So we're really going to be ready.

>> Yeah.

In the crowd to be really as well.

GSU tickets, dot com that the special Tuesday night game at 07:00PM coach kicks off a three-game homestand for you guys.

Best of luck this weekend.

What to watch.

You guys get back at it.

In the meantime, congrats on 2 big wins in the U P. Let's get the wrong.

>> All right.

Thank you, hope and get a big crowd here on Tuesday.

>> Absolutely.

Don't go anywhere.

The GSU sports were continues right after this.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Etsu women's basketball travel to the upper Peninsula this week.

Defeating Michigan Tech in overtime on Thursday, then follow that up with another win against northern Michigan on Saturday.

Joining us now to talk about it seems that coach Mike Williams and coach.

Welcome back on the program here.

Socially distant a day after that long trip up to the U P. But a couple of really good road winds as we have to do with this.

We went.

>> Well.

No question.

You know, we knew it would be 2 tough games.

You're going up there.

A lot of things on the war and Texan.

Really good team.

Really good home.

It's another another real solid team.

So, you know, I think our players know what you're getting into.

And I think they were prepared for, which was nice to see.

>> There's no question that Michigan Tech is a confident team.

They're technically sound of the reigning glee actor regular season champions.

So going to their place for the first time in a couple of years.

Some of those younger players really haven't played at Tech with the band with the atmosphere.

They got off to a really fast start to your team handle that road environment.

>> Well, you know, sometimes we have been in those environments you don't know on.

And so you just kind of go play.

And I think that I think here complain that a big Tech.

And I think CNN and that's about it.

So Iran also knew that and I think it was something online with, you know, last year Tech in our place in the knocked us off twice, you know, was it was unique here.

Get that.

No fans.

All that stuff is still a mature.

Home court could beat us twice.

And so I think that was in the back of our minds, reporters minds.

And, you know, I thought we responded really well and came out real strong thought that first 1st quarter.

>> Take us through what you saw from La just because she's had some great games already in her 2 seasons.

But this seems like a breakout game offensively to the ability to get to the rim for hunting shop, shooting threes, you get all 3 offensive with 31 points were a career high.

>> Well, I think it's you know, it's kind of wonder team's going to be Lakers players that are going to step up and score for some different games in having the L in this game million that given role and the first 3, 1, And then like you said, Sheehan to the couple of threes that went in this year 3 in that 1st quarter, you know, go show ran.

A couple stood for.

Again, the mill for coming up that ball screen.

A downhill lot of were screen and issued to graduate.

You make shots.

You couple pull up, Shep.

The real life boat, right and left him and she knocked in a free throws a teller for Cook.

And you got you got to make both free throws.

But yeah, I thought she was the most is, but she's very confident comfortable offensively.

>> It ended with the 4th quarter.

Obviously getting that buzzer beater to tie the game into overtime to the end of the 1st quarter on a 16 o run.

2512 lead after the first Korean Michigan Tech was going to fight back, especially on their home gym.

So for them to get it back even after the 3rd quarter, 15 having to battle back and stomach for city and then really put their foot on the gas pedal that over time.

Was that say to you about this team, their ability to once again overcome that person to age.

>> Well, today's, you know, you look at it.

We have a team.

Sometimes you wish we want to enable separate.

We have 3 options you that we didn't do it.

So you can look at that and see, OK, what do we need to work on from that standpoint.

You know, from that 1st quarter, they got back in and then early in the 3rd and then early in the 4th.

We have to separate my 9 late 10 win 11 and then Tech and coming back.

So that's one thing we've got to work on that area.

Like you said, you know, the ability to have that happen, you know, Tech to to take the lead late in the game.

And our first to respond.

I think it's it's happened a few times this year.

It has been good to see whether it's confidence words.

We talk a lot about what's the next play.

What's the next step?

Not sure players do that all the time to do.

I guess in big games at the end of games.

They keep.

What's the next thing we got to do and I think they did that.

Yes, mission Tech.

>> And we specially hits the 3 at the end of the 4th quarter to tie things up her and Elly combined for 51 points in that road win at Michigan Tech.

And it seems like northern Michigan on Saturday made a concerted effort to not let those to beat them and they really tall when the team that make the tough inside.

I was surprised, really because we'll have a game that she did.

What did you see from her in that game on Saturday really lead you guys to a tough win against a gritty northern Michigan team.

>> Well, like you said, you know, they did.

They took away Kelly.

And again, we space.

They got not one space.

And you know, that's fine.

You know, they've been in 4 shots at him to make things happen once there and just left after each of the players step up and I thought they had, you know, that you stepped up in a couple big threes in that 1st half the rally get not only did you go in the rim.

She didn't offensive last show.

That was one of our concerns is mission Tech.

I think we had 3 offensive rebounds, the whole game.

We talked about getting on the offensive glass Raleigh did that to beneficial use.

So offensive.

Some check some second chance points that was good to see.

>> And the coolest place.

Some limited minutes for you to her return.

She was one inbound the ball in the eventual Spitz Lee.

3 pointer.

He came in as a really close look at the Big 3 in the game against northern Michigan as well even though she was limited have what you need to be back on the floor with the team.

The tough road trip like that.

>> Well, you know, obviously, you know, put it past her to get back to my roots, 10 to 15 minutes.

And so, you know, we know we can ease or end.

So she did know his condition, a condition issue.

I'm still a hesitancy issue with her playing.

But I thought as the game wore on, we saw those to those seen 2 things go.

You know, and you know, she's we talked about rebounding woes here, this last stretch and she's one of them.

She is one word to you and to our top rebounders.

Good to hear.

You heard back from standpoint and I thought this accomplice amply know just from the injury, OK.

I played on it and play through and play some big games.

And so now hopefully moving forward that sum could be a concern for him.

>> Obviously covid has wreaked some havoc on some postpone games.

But this is technically the midway point.

Typically act regular season to begin that 2nd half here now, as we welcome in parts of the Northwest this week getting to play teams for second time getting to play them.

And again, the part that's really good team.

And we expect this week.

>> Well, in school or New York from mission, Texas by the top scoring team in our conference.

Quite a number 2 is going to compensate the park site of their back in this couple players in the stretch there and now they're full strength.

And then we will be full strength as well.

So and no matter what their place last play to make.

It was a the single digit games.

So their team, again that can put points on the board.

We've got that Trump lawyers and it's all been here that plane.

Our Jim, it's not going to phase that they're playing Grand Valley.

So, you know, you expect 2 really good teams.

Expect a really good game.

>> Thursday night.

06:00PM on ESPN 3 should be a lot of fun coach.

That's a look this week.

Keeping a role in.

Thanks as always for your time.

All right.

Thank you.

We're back with more.

The GSU sports report on the wtvd [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Grand Valley State men's and women's swimming and diving swept a pair of dual meets on Saturday.

Number 7 net ranked men claim to win over Saginaw Valley state and Davenport.

A number 16 women also defeated the Cardinals and Panthers.

There's now talk about the team's head coach Andy boys back for the first time in 2000, 22, happy New Year to you.

Go for doing a virtual this time around.

But I was swimming and diving season got off to a start so far.

>> Well, we have a little slow start there.

Yes, means canceled here coming back our Florida training and as some positive cases and we will fight figure a way out the so we're back at it and then healthy and given everything we've got here is nice bill to compete again a little bit more precaution.

I think in the end that we're doing our best.

What we've got.

>> Obviously it's a weird year trying to get everybody to that right schedule.

How you kind of navigating going through working with those positive cases, different people being available different times to get people ready to swim when they can.

>> Well, the nice thing is we had a majority of our team back this weekend, although too.

So, so that was nice to be able get back and get that meet under our belt.

And as we head towards the conference meet that everyone's going to be a little bit different with the how the rest them, how we train them a lot more variance.

Then the years passed.

We have a lot of unknowns.

But one thing we know is we go out there and give our best effort work hard have caused that to go along with it.

>> Yeah.

A great weekend.

This week tells us about some of the performers just about the both sides.

>> Yeah.

I thought the really solid performances firmly in the court of the women's side when the way the 100 to 200 back strokes.

Leadoff are winning.

Another relay.

Us Matthew Lane there.

I think it's time was 11th in the country in the 1000 freer.

As great as of now and get 200 restaurant was another solid performance coming in just behind you, get hot concert art pressure on the team.

But on the boards centers are one win both one in 3 meter for the men and their grace.

And crg has a first.

The battle against them within the conference and on the national level room go from second took both doors.

But race was right behind or so and they'll be back and forth at a conference in a national.

So it's good to see that good healthy competition.

Most could conference states.

>> It's not where they finished now for.

They finished the end of March.

Right.

But it's been great.

And you have some very better and swimmers and divers on this team.

How much does that help you in terms of trying to navigate a wacky year like this.

>> Sure.

I mean, last year was wacky to soak up.

We're just kind of taking it day by day and to, you know, us and the meeting on our upper classmen captains, little bit more just to reassure everyone that there's not one right or wrong, wrong way to get to the end point.

But when we get there, we'll figure it out and we'll get we'll give everything.

We've got to put our best effort forward.

And that I think the results will take care of themselves.

>> Because there may be the process now as we look ahead towards the accident.

The National Front line.

Usually you guys try to taper up to get back to qualifying time and retrain towards the nca tournament use the glee acts kind of the springboard like that.

It's still that's something that you're trying to do this year as covid Canton Renton those plants.

>> Well, we're going to have to wait to see.

Stay for a little bit different.

I can give away all my secrets.

You there on his rest.

That is not how much the rest of this.

You know, everyone is going to be resting a little bit different depending on how long they are 4 or if they were out at all and on.

We have conference next Friday.

So it's right around the corner.

And that S and the nationals will have plenty of time to build back up again in and drop out for the people that are lucky enough to qualify for the national championships.

>> It's crazy.

Think the CLIA already here.

And I know.

Usually you guys get a chance to do a good bit of swimming and diving in the fall.

How much of that were you able to get in before this on the KRON very into a wrinkle in and how important was that for your team early on to get that early portion of the season.

>> We have some people that have some marks.

I think that will qualify for the national championships.

No question drivers pretty have the call sign standards.

And so take a good group down there.

I think that was nice to be able to have a fairly normal fall and then crime kind of threw a monkey wrench into things here in the U.S.. Oh, gosh unknown.

But the December January here in and changed everything.

So we're navigating the waters and then doing the best we can with what we've got.

>> The plan was intended.

I'm sure being the swimming and diving head coach.

But and you mentioned Lee act be just a week away.

How important was it to get back in the pool this past weekend.

So against a couple of conference foes, just kind of to use another plan.

Get your feet wet once more.

>> Sure, it was a it was nice to race again.

We haven't raced.

So since the beginning of December.

Nice to get back on the boards and competitions.

So it's a just a a little later in the year that I like that would like to go.

Last week, the week before that had this weekend off for practice.

But uh, it's okay.

We've there's also the other teams are connoisseurs kind of scampering for meats and they have means even this weekend.

So it's a little unusual year that as far as needs go.

But we have a number means we need to, you know, take a team to the national championships, the Middle East and the role do our best of the conference championship to get as many people qualify for nationals account.

>> You've got a lot to figure out in the short little bit of time here because real quick, I believe ironically acts like that.

It will not be fans of the swimming and diving championships and how can your fans watch out.

You follow along for the ugly action paean ships.

>> Yeah.

It's kind of a tough situation there.

Sadness limited the crowd size.

And yes, we're going to given the choice of having our student athletes in the gym watching teleprompter or sacrificing the fans and put our student athletes and stand so they can be a part of the meeting.

I think that's a no-brainer.

We want them to have the best experience possible.

We do it for our student athletes here and the what when we're doing the competition is good to have a nice it's a live feed for parents and friends and family to watch.

>> Well, that's great.

I'm glad you're giving your student athletes the best at experience possible.

Given everything that's going on a coach.

That's of looking glass and rubble.

Talking after that before you head on the national but the congratulations on getting back in the pool and that's what this week.

>> Thank you very much.

>> I will be back with more right here in the Granite State sports report right after this.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] With only one loss on the season.

GSU women's basketball looked every bit the part of the team with postseason aspirations on its agenda.

Thanks in no small part to 2 impressive freshman student athletes.

Tom Cleary has the story >> at Grand Valley.

The extra season of play mandated by the NCAA due to the pandemic has in some ways already helped Lakers coach Mike Williams was got 18 months to work with standout freshman Ellie draw Steve of Westphalia and her fellow guard Hadley Miller from 3 Rivers and both of whom enrolled in the fall.

2000, 20.

>> Ennobled Dillingham.

We're kind of what we call combo guards to count on the point when the off guard while shooting well, in high school, maybe you hail a lot and a flexible to defend that.

>> This year's Laker team is a far cry from the squad Williams and built around 6 foot.

4 inch center Cassidy bench in the year before Miller and Ross to ride the Lakers in twenty-twenty to are now chock full of perimeter standouts, including senior quakes stand and when shooter Emily Spitz Lee when a total of 10 3 pointers in 2 games recently against Davenport unfair state and adding to that mix is the draw Steve Miller combination, each of whom are contributing at multiple positions while learning with and from each other.

What a beautiful ball down the killer cut.

>> I have the same style of basketball.

So like having someone that is willing to work together with me as well.

And happy put in so much time into the gym.

Some slick see her put in all this extra time.

It makes me want to do it as well.

But it's just a lot of fun.

Having someone, especially in my exact same class.

We've been through the same experiences together so far.

>> Having alley and having Riley or someone like that to look at when they play is actually really cool to have because we can do a lot of things I can do.

And so like when we're working out together with coach.

Mike.

I can look at like, oh, that's really good move to try to do that.

Rush try to practice at with herself if we play off each other works well.

>> Since arriving for their college debuts a little over a year ago when they both played more than half of the game in a win over Saginaw Valley Italian Hadley played all 34 of their team's games heading into their trip to the upper Peninsula last week.

And while winning the trust of their coaches and teammates.

They and classmate.

Wiley biz ball have borrowed from each other to make your group strong.

>> He's really fast.

So I definitely want to try to pick up her fast quick for staff.

That's a big one.

And she has a really good spin move that I want to try to learn.

It's like a really fast like one to right into it and where I kind of take my time.

So that's something that I want to work out a lot.

>> And ball handling really get all of our 5 starters and even all the people that come off the bench part.

They can just pick up right with the next person left off.

So it's just really helpful.

I think for our team and it just creates a lot of chemistry forest freshman all were called upon to play and you contribute large minutes.

And I think when you have the type of culture that we have that camaraderie overall mentality.

We want to be successful.

I think every reason brace him anything to help.

Our team, I believe is embrace and that's I think what's happening here.

>> In the long run up to last year's abbreviated 20 game campaign gave both Laker guards a chance to get plenty of personalize instruction from their coaches.

And while Miller worked to refine the jump shot that major a big high school score.

Frosty has toiled in the weight room and the strength that made her a trademark drives into the lane.

And though it looked like they might spend their years grandelli battling each other for playing time.

Now in most games, Allie and heavily find themselves side by side in careers, which could see them each play more than 100 games for the Lakers in the Grand Valley State's court.

[MUSIC] >> That's all the time we have this week on the Grand Valley.

State sports report GSU swimming and diving.

We back in action on February 4th to the 7th with ugly act.

Campeon ships on the campus of Saginaw Valley, state dsu track and get to host the GSU bill clear classic on Friday, January 28th at the Kelly family sports Center in Allendale.

The need is scheduled for 10:00AM Diaz.

You men's and women's basketball return home this week the men will take on Davenport at 07:00PM on Tuesday night as a makeup game from earlier this month that both teams will take on Parkside this Thursday at 06:08PM.

Then they'll celebrate alumni day on Saturday.

January 29th as they take on Purdue Northwest at 01:00PM and 03:00PM respectively for upcoming games as well as live broadcast of every Laker athletic event is a GPS.

You Lakers dot com to see more of this show it to our youtube channel at youtube.

Dot com slash WGVU 35 make sure to subscribe button to get updated video highlights all year long for the entire crew here at WGVU.

I'm Jake.

We have a great week Laker nation and is always a corrupt.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] >> It's a baseball or second is all that's left side Spitz Lee at all or.

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