UNIVERSITY CENTER -- The Cardinal Women's Basketball squad opened its 2018-19 home season on Friday (Nov. 9) afternoon against the Bellarmine University Knights. SVSU fought hard in the regional matchup but came up just short in the four point defeat, 83-79.
SV got out to a 26-23 lead after the first quarter, led by nine of Abby Duffy's game-high 23 points. The second quarter saw the Knights respond with a 23-16 edge in the second 10 minutes, going into the halftime break with a 46-42 lead.
The Cardinals responded with a big third quarter, going for 22 points while holding Bellarmine to 17 to take a 64-63 advantage into the fourth quarter. Duffy added eight more points in the third while Maddie Maloney chipped-in with seven.
After the lead went back-and-forth a little in the fourth frame, a Mariah Cook free throw with 4:46 to play tied the contest at 73-73. SV would knot the game at 75-all and take a 77-75 edge with made free throws from Kaitlyn Geers and Maddie Barrie.
Bellarmine, however, would re-take the lead at 80-79 and continue to hold it from there, sealing the win with a layup at the 1:04 mark and adding a free throw with five ticks remaining to win the contest 83-79.
Inside the Boxscore
- Duffy's 23 points were accompanied by a game-high 10 rebounds, giving her the double-double. She earned Meijer "Player of the Game" honors for her efforts with the career-high 23 points.
- Maddie Barrie went for 17 points with seven boards, two assists and a steal in her first collegiate action.
- Maddie Maloney had a dozen points with six assists and a pair of boards with a block in her first SVSU game.
- Geers added 11 points with six rebounds and an assist in the effort.
- The Cardinals shot 45.5% overall from the floor while the Knights were 40.7%.
- Bellarmine owned the points in the paint category 52-18 and held a slim 38-35 edge on the boards.
- SVSU committed 23 turnovers to Bellarmine's 10.
- The Knights got 42 points from its bench as well while SVSU had 21 bench points.
Postgame Interview
Up Next...
The Cardinals host Southern Indiana on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at O'Neill Arena. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 72-71 defeat at Northwood on Friday night.
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