The Basics

Score: No. 2 Saginaw Valley 86, Lake Erie College 59
Records: SVSU (8-0, 2-0 GLIAC) | LEC (0-8, 0-2 GLIAC)
James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena - University Center, Mich. 

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University men's basketball team completed its first weekend of the 2016-17 GLIAC schedule with an 86-59 rout of the Lake Erie College Storm on Saturday (Dec. 3) afternoon at SVSU's O'Neill Arena. The Cardinals did not trail in the basketball game en route to the team's eighth consecutive victory to begin the season.

The game's first basket came at the 18:26 mark from SVSU's Garrett Hall, who converted on a three-pointer. The Cardinals then tacked on another three from Caleb Davis on the right wing and extended the lead to six. Saginaw Valley would start out on a 10-2 run before play was halted for a media timeout.

Saginaw Valley exited the timeout and scored 10 straight points following a pair of Lake Erie free throws, pushing the lead to 20-4 at the 11:38 mark of the first half. 

The Cardinals continued to shoot well throughout the half and got a string of points from Senior forward C.J. Turnage, who scored six points in two minutes and extended the SVSU lead to 31-13 with 7:14 left in the half. Lake Erie cut the deficit to 12 just before the first half came to a close. Turnage would make an open layup with three seconds remaining, sending SVSU into the locker room up 46-31. 

Lake Erie began with the ball in the second half and scored on its first set of the frame. The Cardinals responded with two baskets from Hall and a tip-in from Wade Gelhaus that kept the lead at 15. SVSU traded three-pointers with the Storm after that. Malik Garner converted on all three of his attempts from beyond the arc while Daniels knocked down an open three to give the Cardinals their first lead of 20-points in the contest. 

From there, SVSU's lead would not drop below 23 points. Richie Roberts scored the Cardinals' next six points and made the score 79-51 with 6:13 remaining in the game. Jon Marosi scored out of the media timeout and Garner's layup at the 3:59 mark of the second half gave SVSU a 30 point lead, its largest of the contest. 

The Cardinals slowed down the pace following the 30-point cushion and ran away with its eighth win of the season and remained undefeated to start the 2016-17 campaign. 

Inside the Boxscore

• The 8-0 start to the season matches a program best for any Cardinal basketball team. SVSU started out the 1984-85 season without a loss through its first eight games as well. 
• Turnage led all scorers in the game with 19 points and added 10 rebounds, posting his third double-double of the season. The senior forward earned Meijer "Player of the Game" honors for the performance.
• Garner scored a career-high 15 points (3-of-4 from three) off the bench for SVSU, who tallied 28 points in the second half from the reserves. He added two rebounds, two assists and a steal. 
• Hall notched 15 points, three rebounds and two assists.  
• Devin Dixon chipped-in with five points and grabbed nine rebounds while Gelhaus grabbed eight boards. 
• SVSU won the rebounding battle 45-32 and outscored the Storm 50-38 in the paint. 
• Ten different Cardinals scored in the win over Lake Erie. 

From Head Coach Randy Baruth

Up Next...

Saginaw Valley hits the road for a pair of games in Ohio as GLIAC play continues. SVSU starts the road trip on Thursday (Dec. 8) against GLIAC South division leader Ashland. The Cardinals finish the trip at Tiffin on Saturday afternoon. 

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