UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University men's basketball team fell 75-71 to Malone in the 2023-24 season opener which was also the home opener for the Cardinals (0-1).
SVSU held a four-point lead at the half but was forced to battle back late in the game but couldn't close the gap before the final buzzer sounded.
Junior transfer D'Juan "Toodles" Seal had a great debut for the Cardinals with a team-high 25 points on 9-17 shooting from the floor.
Senior guard Tre Garrett got things going with a three-pointer in the opening 29 seconds of the game to give SVSU the quick lead. Senior Dylan West added a bucket that began a stretch of five-straight points and built an 8-2 lead in the opening three and a half minutes of play.
The Pioneers (1-0) rallied with a 6-0 run to tie things up with just over five minutes expired in the opening half. Junior guard Maurice Anderson responded with a bucket that ignited a 6-0 run for the Cardinals and gave the home team a 14-8 lead. Both teams traded scores until sophomore transfer Curtis Jackson scored a layup that was followed by baskets from West and Seal to give Saginaw Valley a double-digit lead, 26-16, with 7:41 on the clock.
The Cardinals built the lead to its highest point with a jumper from Seal at the 4:18 mark of the first half with a 35-22 advantage. Malone hit three-straight threes as the first half wound down and was able to cut the deficit to 39-35 as the teams entered the locker room at the break.
Senior forward Maurice Barnett had a productive first half for the Cardinals as he led the team with 10 points on 5-6 shooting. He finished the game with 12 points and four rebounds.
Malone began the second half on a 13-0 run that spanned 6:25 to flip the advantage to a nine-point lead for the visitors. The gap widened to 10 points, 53-43, at 11:47. Seal hit a layup to cut the margin to six points, 66-60, before a jump shot, and a three-point jumper put the Cardinals back two points (67-65) with just over two minutes remaining.
Junior guard Freddie McIntosh hit a jumper with 1:27 remaining that trimmed the Pioneer lead to 68-67. McIntosh followed that up with a response three-point bomb that kept the deficit at one with 42 ticks on the clock.
Malone grew the lead to three before Jackson was sent to the line for two free throws. Jackson hit one of his two attempts to keep the score within one possession, but the Cardinals were forced to foul and preserve time. The Pioneers hit both free throws and sealed the 75-71 outcome.
The SVSU men's hoops squad will hit the road for a game against a familiar opponent in Hillsdale. The opening tip against the Chargers is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.