ALLENDALE – When the final seconds are ticking away and the game is on the line, the ball always seems to be in Nicole Kamin’s hands.
The GVSU senior guard can use her quickness and savviness to avoid defenders to try to get a decent attempt off at the buzzer.
It doesn’t matter if it is the first-quarter buzzer or the game-ending buzzer, Kamin is going to make something happen.
With 4 seconds to go in the half, Kamin got the ball and raced down the court, weaved through a couple of defenders and pulled up at the free-throw line with half a second to go and banked in a shot at the buzzer.
It put the Lakers up seven at the break and they continued the momentum to earn a 90-70 win over Wayne State – the only team to beat GVSU this year – in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 14, at Grand Valley Field House.
“I think I was just blessed with a little bit of speed, so knowing the time, I can get up the court and find a spot,” Kamin said. “I am not really watching the clock, I am more listening to the fans (and the band) counting down.”
But it is her speed and basketball IQ that make her the natural choice for late shots.
“Nicole does a great job in the open court. She got a little closer than we could have liked since she practices halfcourt shots all the time and makes them,” GVSU coach Mike Williams joked.
Wayne State defenders looked like they expected her to shoot a halfcourt shot, but instead she blew right by them, racing three quarters of the length of the court in less than 4 seconds.
“That was a huge momentum shift,” GVSU senior Avery Zeinstra said. “Ava (Scanlon) got the tip to get that play started and I wouldn’t want the ball in anyone’s hands but Nicole in a time like that.
“We have been prepping for this one for a while. It was very bitter when we lost to them at their place. This was personal for us. We all came together in the right moments.”
The Lakers (32-1) will face Northwood (28-5) in the NCAA Division IJI regional final at 7 p.m. Monday at GVSU with the winner advancing to the Elite Eight.
Kamin had 19 points, but none bigger than the two just before halftime. She also had seven rebounds, four assists and a steal.
“We had a lot of resolve. We had a good run at the end of the half and kept that going in the second half,” Williams said.
Zeinstra got the offense going midway through the second quarter with a 3-pointer.
Paige VanStee then made a nice move with a pivot to the left in the paint and put up a shot that rolled around the rim before falling. She was fouled and converted the three-point play to put GVSU up 39-38.
Zeinstra nailed another 3-pointer, setting up Kamin’s last-second shot. The Lakers pushed their lead to 62-49 when Kamin fell to the floor after tipping in her own miss with 2:34 to go in the third.
Zeinstra finished with five 3-pointers and had a season-high 16 points. She also blocked two shots, had a steal, two rebounds and an assist off the bench.
The senior from Byron Center played 27 minutes and most of the second half.
“She is such a great shooter and we have all the confidence in her. She is a sharp-shooter,” Kamin said.
VanStee finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, including nine on the offensive end, keeping possession after possession alive for the Lakers, who had 27 second-chance points.
“She just goes to the glass. She is so active,” Williams said. “That was pretty impressive.”
MacKenzie Bisballe had 21 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Molly Anderson had five points and seven assists, while Lexi Plitzuweit had six points.
“We got the ball in transition a lot better in the second half and really moved the ball,” Williams said. “We did a better job of sealing the lane and we took away their shooters. That was the focus.”
Gabi Lutchka had 19 points to lead the Warriors, while McKenna Ferguson scored 16 and Taylor Thompson had 14.
GVSU men advance to second round
The Grand Valley State men’s basketball team held Ashland to just 13 points in the first half and beat the Eagles 59-45 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament on Saturday, March 14, in North Canton, Ohio.
Shamus Thompson had a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Lakers’ balanced attack.
Jalen Charity scored 11 points, Mason Docks had 10 and Holland native Ethan Alderink scored nine and added six rebounds.
GVSU shot just 33% from the field and 22% from 3-point range. The Lakers were also at 65% from the free-throw line (13-for-20).
But it was enough as the Eagles shot 33% but just 8.7% from 3-point range and 46% from the line.
The Lakers (26-6) will face Michigan Tech at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 15, in the second round.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Nicole Kamin’s buzzer-beater, Zeinstra’s sharp shooting leads GVSU to NCAA regional final
Reporting by Dan D’Addona, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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