UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team defeated the visiting Ferris State University Bulldogs by a score of 70-67 on Saturday night (1/8). The win snaps a four-game win streak for the Cardinals while improving their record to 4-8 overall on the season and 2-4 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play. The Bulldogs fall to 6-8 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
SVSU jumped out in front right away in the first half. Sophomore Jasmine Kennedy (Harper Woods, Mich./Grosse Pointe North HS) started the scoring by knocking down a triple 12 seconds into the contest, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals would build a lead as high as 10 points at the 9:28 mark, when freshman Kristen Greene (Brown City, Mich.) hit a three-pointer to make the score 26-16. Ferris would work back to tie the game at 30-30 with 5:21 remaining after Becci Houdek hit a triple. It would go back-and-forth the rest of the half, but SVSU had a five-point advantage at the 1:25 mark after a three by senior Brittany Burkhardt (West Bloomfield, Mich./Walled Lake Central HS). Ferris's Tricia Principe would respond with a triple of her own with three seconds left, however, to cut the Cardinal lead to a pair heading into the locker room, 41-39.
Kennedy caught fire in the first half, amassing a season-high of 17 points in the first half alone while adding four rebounds. Burkhardt had 12 points in the opening frame as well while adding four rebounds. Greene added six points on a pair of three-pointers.
The Bulldogs quickly took a one-point lead at the 19:24 mark in the second half on a three-pointer by Tricia Principe, making the score 42-41. Ferris would retain the lead until there was 7:09 remaining in the game, as Burkhardt made good on a layup attempt to knot the score at 58 points-apiece. A pair of free throws by sophomore Cheritee Green (Wyoming Park, Mich.) at the 3:58 mark gave the Cardinals a seven point lead at 67-60, which is the largest they would hold the rest of the way. Ferris would cut the lead to two points with 39 seconds left on a freet throw by Kelsey DeNoyelles. A free throw from Burkhardt with 18 seconds left would make the Cardinal lead 70-67, which is where the score would remain at the end of regulation.
Burkhardt was named the Meijer "Player of the Game" after scoring a season-high 20 points while adding six rebounds. Kennedy finished with 17 points and five rebounds. Greene finished with 11 points while Cheritee Green narrowly missed a triple-double, netting 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Thursday, January 13th, as they travel to play at Northern Michigan University for a 7:30 pm contest.