The Basics 

Score: Saginaw Valley 69, Wayne State 64
Records: SVSU (13-8, 6-8 GLIAC) | WSU (11-7, 8-6 GLIAC)
James E. O'Neill, Jr. Arena - University Center, Mich. 

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich.- The Saginaw Valley State men's basketball team completed its stretch of three games in five days against GLIAC competition on Monday night. The Cardinals hosted the Wayne State Warriors at O'Neill Arena and would hold the lead for the entire second half en route to a 69-64 victory, giving SVSU its 13th win of the season. 

It was the Warriors who would score the game's first points at 19:27 of the first half for an early 2-0 lead. Wayne State would then tack on a free throw to grab a three-point edge. A pair of free throw makes from Garrett Hall gave the Cardinals its first points of the contest. SVSU would cut the deficit to one point on its next two possessions with baskets from C.J. Turnage. 

A corner three-pointer from Hall tied the score at 9-9 with 13:45 left to play in the half. SVSU would make a stop on defense and grabbed its first lead of the contest as Turnage hit a jumper with the shot clock expiring. The Cardinals would lock in defensively and hold the two-point lead for more than three minutes of play. A pair of Wayne State makes from the free throw line tied the contest once again. Saginaw Valley regained the lead on the next drive as Caleb Davis connected on a three from the top of the arc, giving the senior forward his first points in the game. 

The Cardinal lead extended to as much as five points following baskets from Malik Garner, Devin Dixon and Turnage that made the score 22-17 with 5 minutes left in the half. Wayne State cut their deficit to three points on the next drive. That would be short lived as SVSU went up 24-19 with a nice shot in the paint from Turnage. Saginaw Valley looked to extend the lead on its next defensive series and would do so with 3:27 remaining. 

A make from behind the long line from Garner gave the Cardinals a 27-19 advantage over the Warriors. Wayne State would cut the lead to only four points before the Cardinals rallied for six straight points and a 33-23 lead with 59 seconds remaining. Saginaw Valley would head into the locker room holding onto a 33-28 lead over the Warriors. 

Saginaw Valley began with the ball to start the second half and would score on the sequence with a three-point make from Davis. The Warriors then chipped away at the Cardinal lead, getting to within two points on the Cardinals with 14:45 left in the game. Saginaw Valley then went back up by five points with a completed three-point play by C.J. Turnage. 

The Cardinal lead grew to seven points at the 9:19 mark with a pair of makes from the stripe from Davis. Wayne State then went on a 7-0 scoring run to tie the game for the third time, at 47-47. It would be the last time the Warriors were not trailing in the second half to the Cardinals. 

A completed three-point play from Devin Dixon at the 4:41 mark provided a 53-49 lead for the Cardinals, who locked in defensively to keep the lead around a four-point margin. Caleb Davis provided the insurance point courtesy of a made free throw with 13 seconds left that gave SVSU a 69-64 victory over the Warriors.

Inside the Boxscore

• Turnage notched his seventh double-double of the season with a 22-point, 10-rebound performance against the Warriors. He also added four assists, three blocks and two steals, earning Meijer "Player of the Game" honors. 
• Devin Dixon provided 13 points and three blocks in 26 minutes off the bench for the Cardinals. 
• Davis reached double-figures in scoring as well, posting 10 points for SVSU.
• Hall and Garner each scored nine points as well for the Cards.
• Richie Roberts finished the contest with a season-high eight rebounds, three assists and one steal in his fifth start of the season. 
• Saginaw Valley's bench outscored Wayne State by a 44-9 margin but were outrebounded, 36-31. 
• The Cardinals shot 44.7% from the field and would score 30 of their points in the paint. 

From Head Coach Randy Baruth

Up Next...

The Saginaw Valley State men's basketball heads to Big Rapids, Mich. for a matchup with the GLIAC-leading Ferris State Bulldogs on Thursday night. The second and final meeting of the season between both teams is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. SVSU dropped a 95-85 decision at home to the Bulldogs on Jan. 19. 

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