The Basics

Score: Saginaw Valley 62, Northern Michigan 45
Records: SVSU (22-6) | NMU (17-12)
Location: James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena - University Center, Mich.

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The SVSU women's basketball team claimed a 62-45 victory over the Northern Michigan Wildcats on Tuesday (Feb. 28) evening in the opening round of the 2017 GLIAC Women's Basketball Tournament. 

In what was a solid victory for the No. 2 tournament seed SVSU, senior forward Emily Wendling became the program's all-time leading scorer with her second field goal of the game. She now has 1,931 career points, surpassing Beverly Sanders's tally of 1,922 points.

After the Wildcats took an early 4-0 lead in the game, SVSU went on a 10-0 run to take a 10-4 lead at the 5:07 mark. Hannah Settingsgaard hit consecutive three-pointers to get the run going, and those were followed by layups from Anna Hall and Francesca Coury. Coury would hit the final basket of the first quarter as well, giving the home team a 15-10 lead with a triple.

The Cardinal lead reached double-digits after another Settingsgaard triple and three-point play from Halee Nieman put the score at 21-10 with 7:44 showing on the clock. Northern Michigan cut the deficit to a pair with 4:27 to play in the half with SV leading by a 23-21 score. A jumper from Wendling and Settingsgaard's fourth triple of the half would close-out the half for the Cardinals, sending them to the break with a 28-21 edge.

Saginaw Valley had its highest offensive output of 19 points in the third quarter, posting a 19-15 advantage to carry a 47-36 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cards held as much as a 15-point lead when Hall hit a jumper at the 3:41 marker to put the score at 44-29.

The strong play continued through the fourth frame, as the home team led by a game-high 19 points (57-38) after a Wendling layup with 4:35 to play. That same 19-point lead came two more times in the quarter after free throws from Abby Duffy and another bucket from Wendling. The team would close out for the win and seal a trip to the GLIAC Tournament Semifinals with a 62-45 score.

Inside the Boxscore

• Settingsgaard connected on 5-of-7 shots and 4-of-6 tries from beyond the arc for a team-high and career-high 14 points. She added three rebounds and an assist in the victory.
• Hall grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds, adding eight points, four assists and a pair of steals. 
• Wendling notched 12 points, five boards and two blocks for SVSU. She is now the program's all-time leader in both points and free throws. She also sits at 977 career rebounds.
• Katelyn Carriere matched a season-high with eight assists, adding six points, three boards and three steals.
• Nieman chipped-in with eight points and a board for the Cardinals. 
• SVSU held a 30-22 edge in points in the paint and 14-8 advantage in bench points. The Cardinals also registered a 43-34 edge on the glass.

From Senior Forward Emily Wendling

Up Next...

The Cardinals advance to the 2017 GLIAC Tournament Semifinals, which will take place on Saturday (Mar. 4) at Ashland University. SVSU will face Grand Valley State in a 4:00 p.m. matchup in Kates Gymnasium. 

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