Resurgent Ellie Droste leads GVSU women's basketball redemption tour into NCAA Elite Eight
ALLENDALE - As time wound down with a spot in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight on the line, Grand Valley State's Ellie Droste was where she belonged - on the free-throw line sealing the victory.
The GVSU senior guard has been one of the most clutch players in program history, having led the Lakers to the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once.
Droste nailed three free throws in the final minute to seal a 62-50 win over Ashland in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championship game on Monday at the GVSU Field House.
Last year, the same situation didn't happen as Droste was out with a knee injury and watched from the bench as rival Ferris State hung on for a three-point win on GVSU's home court to dash the Lakers' title hopes.
Now, Droste and GVSU (35-2) are back and will play Gannon in the NCAA Elite Eight at 6 p.m. Monday, March 24, in Pittsburgh.
"Our experience will help a ton. Every single person on our team outside the freshmen have been there and know what the atmosphere and excitement will be all about. I got to experience this game from a different view last year. This year, I am giving it my all getting to play," Droste said. "It is super rewarding, a full-circle moment. For me, Rylie Bisballe and Hadley Miller, the three seniors, we came in five years ago during COVID and we couldn't win a game to save our lives. To have a team with this much experience and confidence is super rewarding."
Droste scored 12 points in the game and GVSU coach Mike Williams felt a sense of peace watching her at the free-throw line.
"That is what she does. She does that every year for us," Williams said. "You always think what would have happened if we had her healthy last year. Because she can put points on the board."
For Droste, she is used to having the ball in her hands at crunch time, though that isn't as important as the confidence her teammates have in her.
"We are a super confident team. Every single one of us knows everyone is capable of making those plays down the stretch. Sometimes free throws come down to one person, and (Monday) it just happened to be me," Droste said.
While that part of her role hasn't changed, a lot has changed since her injury.
After starting for three years, Droste has come off the bench most of the season as she came back from her knee injury. She still plays the minutes of a starter now that it is the postseason, but it is a key development that has made the Lakers even stronger.
"She had to adjust to a different situation and a different role. She embraced it and then she took off from there. She is tough in big situations and makes the most of every minute she is on the floor," Williams said. "The thing with her is she became such a complete player. Her defensive game got so much better, taking charges, guarding in the post, backside help. That is where she has grown the most. That is a big reason why we are here.
"And here those seniors are getting to go to another Elite Eight, which is pretty cool," Williams said.
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: Ellie Droste leads GVSU women's basketball into NCAA Elite Eight
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