The Basics

Score: Saginaw Valley 87, Lake Erie 58
Records: SVSU (6-1, 2-0 GLIAC) | LEC (2-5, 0-2 GLIAC)
Location: James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena - University Center, Mich.

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - Playing a second straight home GLIAC matchup at O'Neill Arena, the SVSU women's basketball team hosted the Lake Erie Storm on Saturday (Dec. 3) afternoon looking to notch another victory. The Cardinals would do just that, coming back from a first quarter deficit to post three 20-plus point quarters the rest of the way in securing a 29-point win over the Storm, 87-58.

The Storm would close-out the first quarter leading by a 19-17 count. The visitors took an early lead and SVSU held its only advantage by a 6-4 score at the 6:07 point when Jessica Alexander made good on a layup attempt. Lake Erie led by as many as four points (13-9) with 3:20 to play in the frame, but the Cards worked thei way back to knot the score at 13-13 after free throws from Halee Nieman and an Emily Wendling bucket. The sixth tie of the quarter at 17-17 was broken, however, by the Storm with five seconds left to give them the two-point lead heading into the second.

A 7-0 run to begin the second quarter would push that Lake Erie lead out to nine points with the score 26-17 at the 7:44 marker. That would mark the Storm's largest lead of the game, however, as Saginaw Valley made a push with a huge 18-2 run to take a 35-28 lead with 2:14 left in the opening half. Wendling, Katelyn Carriere, Abby Duffy, Hannah Settingsgaard and Anna Hall all got in on the scoring to take the lead. The teams would trade buckets from there, as Alexander nailed a triple for the final basket of the half, giving the home squad a 38-30 edge heading into the halftime break.

A Carriere three-pointer opened the third quarter to give SVSU its first double-digit lead of the contest at 41-30. That would work its way out to as many as 18 points in the third quarter twice, on a layup from Wendling to make the score 56-38 and a pair of free throws from her to put the count at 58-40 with 3:07 showing on the clock. Wendling would also end the scoring for the quarter, making good on a three-point play to give the Cards a 16 point lead heading into the final quarter, 61-45.

Saginaw Valley saves its highest offensive output for the fourth quarter, putting up 26 points while limiting the Storm to just half that amount. The lead would reach the 20-point mark (67-47) after a Duffy three-point play at the 9:00 mark. The Cardinal lead would be a game-high of 31 points with 45 seconds left on a layup from Abby Schlicher to make the count 84-55. Mariah Cook and Shelby Weeks also got in on the scoring action, with Weeks scoring the game's final point on a free throw that put the final score at 87-58. 

Inside the Boxscore

• Wendling posted a game and season-high of 26 points while grabbing a game-best eight rebounds. She was 9-of-14 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. The one blemish from the foul line was her first miss of the season, as she opened hitting 33 straight from the line.
• Carriere also registered 20-plus points for SVSU, going for 20 with five boards and a steal. She was honored prior to the game for crossing the 1,000-point mark for her career over Thanksgiving weekend.
• Hall was the only other Cardinal in double-digits in scoring, notching 13 points with seven boards, six assists and four steals in another great all-around effort. 
• Settingsgaard was named the Meijer "Player of the Game" after her stellar defensive performance on the GLIAC's leading scorer. She added three points and three assists offensively. 
• Alexander and Duffy each added seven points as well, with Duffy adding three boards and three assists and Alexander chipping-in with three rebounds, two assists and a steal. 
• SVSU out-rebounded Lake Erie by a 48-31 margin and held a 25-13 edge in bench points.
• Both teams had 28 points in the paint. 

From Sophomore Guard Hannah Settingsgaard

Up Next...

Saginaw Valley will hit the road for its first weekend of GLIAC play away from O'Neill Arena. The Cardinals will play at No. 2 Ashland University on Thursday (Dec. 8) at 5:30 p.m. The Eagles (8-0, 2-0 GLIAC) are coming off a 95-63 victory at Northwood University on Saturday.  

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