DETROIT, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball program traveled to Wayne State Thursday evening. The Cardinals (9-8, 3-6 GLIAC) fell to the Warriors (10-7, 5-4 GLIAC) with a final score of 71-67. SVSU held an eight-point lead after the first but lost it in the second and couldn't close the gap.
Saniaa Walker had a career high 19 points shooting 9-14 from the floor and 1-2 from beyond the arc as she and Megan McCalla led both teams in scoring. Walker also led with six rebounds while Lydia Meredith posted 10 points, three rebounds, and three steals. Saginaw Valley shot 30-59 (50.8%) from the floor but struggled from three and the free throw line. They were outrebounded 34-24 but caused 23 turnovers.
A 6-2 run for SVSU grabbed the lead before a Warrior free throw left the score at 10-9 Cardinals. Saginaw Valley used an 11-3 run with Walker scoring two layups and Aleshia Jones converting on an and-one opportunity to go ahead 21-12. Two free throws for Wayne State ended the quarter at 24-16. WSU won the second frame 21-12 as they used the quarter to storm back. Halfway through the second, SVSU led by 11 before a 14-2 run for Wayne State closed out the first half and gave the Warriors a 37-36 edge at the break.
Both teams traded buckets in the third with Ava Locklear and Jones adding threes and tying the game 46-46. Four points from the charity stripe gave Wayne State the lead again before a three off a turnover pushed it to 57-50 WSU. Locklear ended the quarter with a layup plus the foul at the buzzer and drained the free throw to cut the lead to four. A tightly contested fourth quarter started with the largest lead of the game for the Warriors as a three-pointer put them ahead by eight, 64-56. The press and tough defense of Saginaw Valley caused turnovers and transition buckets that allowed SVSU to make it a one-possession game multiple times, but they couldn't erase the lead entirely. A final pair of free throws pushed it to 71-67 and a missed three ended the game.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley women's basketball ends a three-game road trip and comes home on Saturday, January 25 to host the GLIAC newcomers, the Roosevelt Lakers. It's hometown day as fans from the Portland and Fowler areas can get buy one get one free tickets with code 125hometownsvsu at svsucardinals.com/tickets. Also, both the softball and baseball programs will be honored with their championship rings from last spring. Both teams will be signing posters on the concourse with softball after halftime and baseball after the conclusion of the contest. Tip-off is set for 1:00 PM EST from James E. O'Neill Arena.