ASHLAND, Ohio – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team played its third consecutive road game to start the 2022-23 season, taking on No. 5 Ashland University on Wednesday.

The Cardinals held a narrow lead late in the third quarter, but the Eagles closed the period on a 7-0 run and pulled away in the fourth for an 87-75 win. The loss drops SVSU to 1-2 overall to start the season.

How it Happened:

• The Cardinals jumped out early, using a 7-0 run to build a quick 11-5 lead on the road.
• Consecutive layups by Kaitlyn Zarycki helped SVSU lead 27-18 after the first.
• The Cardinals stretched the lead to 17 points less than four minutes into the second.
• The Eagles stormed back, going on a 21-4 run to tie the game just before the half. Tori DePerry hit a layup to send SVSU to the locker room up by two.
• The teams went back and forth in the third and Jessica Massey put the Cardinals up 59-58 late in the frame.
• Ashland closed the third on a 7-0 run to lead by six points heading to the fourth.
• The Eagles led the rest of the way, stretching its lead throughout the final quarter.

Inside the Box Score:

• DePerry continued her fast start to the season with 21 points and seven rebounds.
• Zarycki was 8-of-10 from the floor for 18 points, adding five assists.
• Emma Dziezgowski added 11 points off the bench for SVSU.
• The Cardinals shot 29-of-50 from the field, 5-of-12 from deep, and 12-of-21 from the line.
• SVSI finished with 22 turnovers and 18 assists.
• Morgan Yoder led Ashland with 16 points, while SVSU 1,000-point scorer Maddie Maloney finished with five points for the Eagles against her former team.

Up Next:

The Cardinals open the home portion of the schedule against Ohio Dominican University at 1 pm on Saturday at the James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena.