UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball program hosted Tiffin Sunday afternoon to finish the 2024 calendar year. The Cardinals (6-4) defeated the Dragons (6-5) with a final score of 65-50 for their eighth win in a row against TU.
Meijer Player of the Game, Ava Locklear lead with the best game of her career, putting up a career high 22 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. Aleshia Jones and Megan McCalla followed with 14 and 12 points respectively. Saniaa Walker made her presence known on defense tying a career-high in steals with five and hauling in seven boards.
SVSU took the lead 43 seconds into the contest and never trailed. Jones hit a three for the opening bucket. Saginaw Valley used the three ball to get ahead in the first quarter before moving the ball into the interior, ending with 36 points in the paint. A 7-2 run for the Cardinals pushed their lead to 10-4.
In the second, Saginaw Valley opened with their largest scoring run of the game. Two buckets for Locklear, a layup for Lydia Meredith, a three for Maggie Keinsley, followed by a Jones layup capped off an 11-2 run to give the Cardinals a 29-16 lead. They held the 13-point lead through the rest of the quarter and into halftime.
Locklear exploded in the second half starting quickly with three straight buckets. Jones made a pair of free throws and Lainey Yater knocked down a floater to give SVSU an 18-point lead, their largest of the game.
In the final frame, Locklear scored four of the first six buckets for the Cardinals before Elizabeth Stuart made her first career bucket with a three pointer, extending the Cardinal lead back to 18. Free throws for the Dragons chipped away at the lead cutting it to 62-50, before Locklear scored her final two points and Beckham Hockley made a free throw for the last point of the game.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley women's basketball finishes the 2024 calendar year with two wins before the holidays. The Cardinals get back in action on Thursday, January 2 when they head to Ferris State. Tip-off is set for 5:30 PM from Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Michigan.
