The Basics 

Score: Saginaw Valley 68, Grand Valley 65
Records: SVSU (18-4, 14-2 GLIAC) | GVSU (16-6, 11-5 GLIAC) 
Location: James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena - University Center, Mich. 

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University hosted Grand Valley State on Saturday (2/4) afternoon, looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Lakers in Allendale. SVSU would do just that, building a lead as high as 18 points before holding-off a late Laker charge to claim a 68-65 win in O'Neill Arena.

With the victory, the Cards up their league record to 14-2, three games clear of Grand Valley State and Michigan Tech in the North Division with five regular season contests remaining. Saginaw Valley is now 18-4 overall as well, just two wins shy of posting back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1986-87 and 1987-88 campaigns.

After Halee Nieman got the game's first bucket, the Lakers responded quick with a three-pointer for a 3-2 advantage. That would prove to be the visitors' only lead of the contest. SVSU's lead built out to nine points at 13-4 after a layup from Grace Whelan and a triple from Francesca Coury with 5:15 on the clock. It would grow to as much as 10 points twice, the second coming when Abby Duffy hit a layup to make the count 19-9 at the 2:22 marker. Two GVSU three-pointers cut the lead to four, but Nieman hit from beyond the arc with five ticks left in the opening quarter, sending SV into the second with a 22-15 edge.

SV's lead reached double-digits once again, as the team led by 11 (32-21) after Katelyn Carriere converted on a three-point play with 4:51 showing on the clock. It reached as much as 13 with 2:09 left to play in the half after Anna Hall made good on a layup attempt to put the score at 37-24. Grand Valley pulled the deficit back to 10 points with a layup with just over a minute remaining, however, putting the halftime score at 38-28 in Saginaw Valley's favor.

The third frame began with a 6-0 run to Carriere, upping Saginaw Valley's lead to 44-28. She made good on a four-point play and followed that up with another pair of free throws. Hall would follow immediately with a layup, giving the home team its largest lead of the evening at 18 points (46.28). After the Lakers pulled it back to a 10-point spread, the Cardinals got buckets from Whelan and Settingsgaard, along with a triple from Carriere to push the score back out to a 16-point edge at 57-41. GV hit a late jumper to make the count 57-43 in SVSU's favor heading into the fourth.

The Lakers brought it in the fourth, however, outscoring the Cardinals by a 22-11 margin to make it a ball game. A triple with 7:08 to play dropped the deficit to nine points at 61-52. They cut it to three points with 59 seconds left after a layup made the score 65-62. GV had to fould with seven seconds left, sending Emily Wendling to the line, where she connected on both ends to push the lead out to 67-62. The Lakers got a deep triple shortly after that, cutting the Cardinal lead to 67-65. They would foul again, sending Hannah Settingsgaard to the charity stripe. She connected on the first of the two, making the score 68-65 with just under two seconds to play. As GVSU inbounded the ball on a last-second attempt to tie the game, it was stolen away and Saginaw Valley survived with the 68-65 victory.

Inside the Boxscore 

• Carriere registered a team-high 16 points, adding six rebounds, two steals, a block and assist in the victory. 
• Hall added 13 points with seven boards and an assist. She earned Meijer "Player of the Game" plaudits.
• Nieman posted 10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks, a pair of assists and a steal in a great all-around effort. 
• Whelan chipped-in with 10 points of her own in her 19 minutes off the bench. 
• The Cardinals shot 49.0% (25-51) from the floor in the victory and held the Lakers to a mark of 39.7% (25-63). 
• SVSU out-rebounded GVSU by a 36-31 margin and the teams both had 19 points off the bench.
• The Lakers held a narrow 30-28 advantage in paint scoring.
• This is Saginaw Valley's second five game win streak of the season and it has won 10 of the past 11 contests. 
• With the victory, SVSU seals a bid to the 2017 GLIAC Tournament. The Cardinals are currently the No. 2 overall seed.

From Head Coach Jamie Pewinski

Up Next...

The Cardinals take to the road on the long trip to the Upper Peninsula, as SVSU plays at Northern Michigan Thursday (2/9) in a 6:00 p.m. matchup before taking-on Michigan Tech on Saturday (2/11) in a 1:00 p.m. game. NMU lost a 55-53 decision at Northwood on Saturday afternoon. 

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