UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The SVSU men's basketball team hosted its first conference matchup of the 2015-16 season Thursday (Dec. 3) night against Ohio Dominican University. The Cardinals kept the hot hand shooting the ball, notching a 51.5% field goal percentage in posting a 90-72 victory over the Panthers. 

ODU led by two points at 6-4 at the 17:27 marker of the first half, but that was the last time the visitors would be ahead in the contest. The Cardinals built a double-digit advantage at 11 points (18-7) after Mitchell Baenziger nailed a three-pointer at the 14:52 marker. 

That lead would grow to as many as 24 points in the first half, which came when Kellen Smith made good on a layup attempt with 3:50 left in the half to make the score 46-22 in SVSU's advantage.  Saginaw Valley would carry a 21 point edge heading into the halftime break, 50-29.

C.J. Turnage had 11 points to lead the Cardinal offense in the opening 20 minutes of play while Caleb Davis added nine points on a trio of three-pointers. Baenziger added eight points as well, hitting a pair of three's and adding another bucket. Davis had a game-high six first half rebounds.

The SVSU lead grew to as many as 29 points (78-49) in the second half, coming with 7:43 to play when Mike Wells made a layup for the Cards. 

The closest the Panthers would get the rest of the game came at 18 points when ODU's Jordan Cowgill made a layup with just under nine ticks left on the clock to make the score 90-72 in SVSU's favor, which is what the final would prove to be.

Inside the Boxscore

• Turnage posted a game-high 21 points, adding four rebounds and a block in just 19 minutes of action. He was 10-of-14 shooting.
• Davis had 17 points with a team-high eight rebounds.
• Wells added 12 points for the Cards while Smith had a game-best six assists to go along with four boards. 
• Baenziger and Sterling Johnson each added 10 points, with Johnaons adding four rebounds and Baenziger a pair.
• SVSU shot 51.5% (35-68) from the floor compared to ODU's mark of 41.8% (28-67).
• The Cards were also 47.4% (9-19) from downtown while the Panthers struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2-of-17 (11.8%).
• Trent Weaver led the Panthers with 20 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
• ODU held a slight 43-42 edge on the glass and a 50-44 advantage in points in the paint. SVSU's bench outscored ODU's, 28-25.

Meijer "Player of the Game"

Turnage was named the Meijer "Player of the Game" after posting the game-high 21 points and adding four rebounds with a block. 

Up Next for SVSU

The Cardinals host the Tiffin University Dragons on Saturday (Dec. 5) in another GLIAC matchup. The Dragons are coming off an 82-75 loss at Hillsdale College on Thursday night.