The Basics

Score: Saginaw Valley 76, Hillsdale 74
Records: SVSU (14-6, 11-4 GLIAC) | HC (9-10, 6-9 GLIAC)
Location: Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena - Hillsdale, Mich.

HILLSDALE, Mich. - Looking to bounce back from a setback Saturday at Ferris State, the SVSU women's basketball team was on the road once more for a GLIAC North Division matchup with Hillsdale College Monday evening. After a 16-point deficit at halftime, SVSU came up big in the second half, outscoring the Chargers 46-28 in the final 20 minutes and 20-6 in the fourth quarter to pull out a key 76-74 comeback victory in Hillsdale's Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. 

Saginaw Valley ran out to a 7-2 lead with 7:52 showing on the clock in the first quarter after points from both Anna Hall and Emily Wendling. 

The lead would change hands a couple times, the last for SV when Katelyn Carriere hit a pair of free throws at the 5:10 mark to make the score 9-8. 

A Wendling layup with 2:04 to play in the quarter would make the score 16-16 but the Chargers added another three points to take a 19-16 lead, which is where it would stay as the quarter ended.

Hillsdale would extend its lead out to as many as 17 points (44-27) with 51 seconds to play in the opening half and led by a 46-30 score as the teams entered the locker rooms for halftime. 

SV opened the second half with a 7-1 run to cut the deficit to 10 points at 47-37 after two Alex Green free throws and a Hall layup at the 7:43 marker of the third frame. 

The Hillsdale lead remained double-digits at 68-56 after the third quarter despite consecutive layups from Wendling and Settingsgaard and a 26-22 overall quarter edge.

The fourth quarter is where the visitors came up big, posting 20 points while tightening-up on the defensive end to only allow six Charger points. 

A pair of Halee Nieman free throws dropped the HC lead to single digits (71-63) at the 6:29 mark and after triples from Settingsgaard and Katelyn Carriere and a Hall jumper wrapped around a layup from Hillsdale's Makenna Ott, the lead was just 74-73 in the home team's favor with just 1:28 to play. 

After a Charger turnover, Hall would drive the lane and give SVSU its first lead since the 5:10 mark of the first quarter after making a layup with just 23 seconds to play to make the score 75-74.

Hillsdale would then turn the ball over and commit a foul to put Carriere on the foul line, where she would convert the second of her two tries to make the score 76-74 with five seconds showing on the clock.

Settingsgaard would force another turnover from the home squad and get fouled with 1.8 seconds left to play. She missed both tries but Hillsdale was forced to try a last second full-court heave, which barely made it past half court. That would seal the two-point comeback victory for Saginaw Valley, 76-74.

Inside the Boxscore

• Wendling had game-highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds, securing her second straight double-double and 10th of the season. She had 14 of her points in the third quarter and was a stellar 10-of-13 from the floor. Wendling continues to lead the league in scoring (19.3 ppg) and a 58.0 field goal percentage.
• Nieman added 19 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals for Saginaw Valley. She has now scored double-digits in eight games this season.
• Hall posted 15 points and three assists. She had the game-winning layup that put the Lady Cardinals up by the 75-74 score.
• Katelyn Carriere added 11 points while Settingsgaard had six points off the bench. 
• Hillsdale was 46.6% (27-of-58) from the floor while the Lady Cardinals posted a 45.8% (27-of-59). The Chargers were 9-of-19 (47.4%) from beyond the arc while SV was just 2-of-16 (12.5%).
• The Chargers grabbed 39 rebounds compared to SVSU's 30 but the Lady Cards won the turnover battle, 22-15.
• SVSU posted a 46-34 edge in points in the paint.
• The Lady Cards are now back in a tie for first place in the GLIAC North Division after a Northern Michigan win over Michigan Tech. SVSU, Tech and GVSU all sit atop the divisional standings at 11-4 and four games behind Ashland (15-0) in the overall standings along with Ohio Dominican.
• Makenna Ott led Hillsdale with 17 points and seven boards.

Meijer "Player of the Game"

Wendling was named the Meijer "Player of the Game" after her double-double, notching game-highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds. It marks her 10th double-double of the 2015-16 season. She added a pair of steals and an assist in the contest as well. 

From Head Coach Jamie Pewinski...

"It was great to see the team fight back so hard after getting in such big hole in the first half. The intensity on the defensive end is what we will need to continue as we go forward. But overall it was a great team win with huge contributions from our bench!"

Up Next for Saginaw Valley

Saginaw Valley continues on the road for the third straight contest, playing at Lake Superior State University Thursday (Feb. 4) at 5:30 p.m. The Lakers are coming off a 73-57 loss at Northwood on Monday evening. The Cards defeated LSSU by a score of 62-45 earlier this season on January 14th at SVSU's O'Neill Arena.

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