UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team earned an 80-72 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over rival Northwood on Thursday evening from James E. O'Neill Jr Arena. The win moves the Cardinals (RV) to 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the GLIAC.

How it happened:

• SVSU got going quickly in the opening quarter, opening up a seven-point lead heading into the first media timeout after a basket by Kaitlyn Zarycki.
• The Cardinals closed the quarter on a 9-3 run and led 23-12 after the first period. 
• SVSU led by as many as 17 points throughout the second quarter, before the Timberwolves closed with a 9-4 run of their own, cutting the SVSU lead to six. A layup by Victoria Stafford and free throws by Zarycki allowed the Cardinals to take a 40-30 halftime lead. 
• Both teams traded baskets to begin the third quarter. The Timberwolves were able to get within five points before SVSU took another nine-point lead with 5:14 remaining in the quarter thanks to a Tori DePerry layup. 
• Northwood responded by outscoring SVSU 13-8 in the final five minutes of the period, SVSU led by just two points heading into the final frame. 
• Both teams continued to go back and forth before a three by Maddie Maloney gave the Cardinals a 66-60 lead with 6:40 remaining. 
• The Timberwolves made one last push, as they got to within two with 54 seconds remaining. 
• After a Cardinal timeout, DePerry was able to convert on a layup before Northwood turned it over, allowing the Cardinals to ice the game with late free throws by Maddie Barrie and Tyler Scheid. 

Inside the Box Score:

• Zarycki, the two-time reigning GLIAC South Division Player of the Week, scored a game-high 28 points on 10-16 shooting. She also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists.
• DePerry and Maloney had 12 points each. DePerry also led all players with eight rebounds as SVSU outrebounded Northwood 31-26.
• SVSU was 28-52 from the field, 5-19 from deep, and 19-22 from the free throw line. The Timberwolves were 24-57 from the field, 7-26 from deep, and 17-19 from the line. 
• The Cardinals had 14 assists compared to Northwood's nine.
• Ava DiMilia led the Timberwolves with 17 points. 

Up next:

SVSU will travel to Wayne State University for a GLIAC matchup at 1 pm Saturday, Dec. 18 in Detroit. 

Postgame Interview with Head Coach Jenny Pruett: