The Basics 

Score: #4 Lewis 80, #5 Saginaw Valley 65
Records: LU (24-8) | SVSU (22-7)
Location: DeSimone Arena - Kenosha, Wis.

Kenosha, WI -  The SVSU men's basketball team defeated Lewis in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regionals, marking the Cardinals' first-ever victory in their first trip to the national postseason tournament since being a member at the NCAA Division II level.

Garrett Hall gave Saginaw Valley their first lead off an early three pointer. Lewis took the lead at the 17:34 minute mark when Max Strus and Delaney Blaylock made back-to-back three pointers.

Wade Gelhaus tied it up at 8-8 with a free throw at the 15:56 minute mark before Lewis briefly took the lead 10-8 at 15:30 after a jumper from Miles Simelton. Sterling Johnson hit a three pointer at 15:02 to give the Cardinals the lead (11-10), which they kept for the rest of the game.

The Cardinals extended their lead to 12 (25-13) at the 9:28 mark following a three-pointer from Damon Bozeman and a jumper from C.J. Turnage. Lewis cut the lead to one (28-27) by the 5:11 mark. Saginaw Valley drove the lead back up to five before the half ended, 40-35.

In the second period, the Cardinals pushed the lead to a game-high of 18 points after a 12-point run at the 9:02 mark.

Lewis took the lead down to eight, 71-63 at the 6:17 mark. SV then scored nine unanswered points to extended its lead back up to 17 (80-65) with 1:55 left in the game.

Miles Simelton notched a jump shot with a minute on the clock to the cut the lead to 15, ending the game with the Cardinals ahead 80-65.

Inside the Boxscore 

• Turnage led the Cardinals with 20 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the floor. He also led Saginaw Valley in rebounds, grabbing eight, adding two assists and a steal as well.
• Bozeman added 19 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
• Baenziger posted 11 points, two steals, one assist and one rebound.
• Dixon and Hall each contributed nine points and six rebounds. Hall also posted four assists and two steals. Dixon added one assist as well.
• Smith had a game-high seven assists for SVSU. 
• Saginaw Valley shot 43.8% (28-of-64) from the floor while Lewis shot 44.9% (22-of-49).
• The Cardinals got 31 points from the bench compared to Lewis's nine and out-rebounded them 41-33.

Meijer "Player of the Game

Turnage was named the Meijer "Player of the Game" for SVSU after posting team-highs of 20 points and eight boards. 

Up Next for The Cardinals

Saginaw Valley will square-off with the top midwest regionally seeded University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Sunday (Mar. 13) at 8:30 p.m. eastern time. It will be the eighth-ever meeting between the two programs. The Rangers hold a 4-2 edge in the series, with the last meeting coming during the 2011-12 season.

@SVSU_MBB | #svsumbb

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