Feb. 21, 2013
Box Score
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Despite holding Saginaw Valley State to 37 percent shooting, the Grand Valley State women’s basketball team could not overcome the Cardinals 21-for-26 outing from the line as the Lakers fell, 71-61, on Thursday evening at James O’Neill Arena.
The loss drops Grand Valley State to 17-7 on the season and 13-7 in the GLIAC, while Saginaw Valley State improves to 12-12 and an even 10-10 in league action.
Senior Kellie Watson (Ionia, Mich.) was on fire with a career-high 27 points including a career-high six three-pointers. Classmate Briauna Taylor (Livonia, Mich.) tallied her fourth double-double of the year with 13 points and 12 rebounds along with dishing out a game-high six assists.
SVSU raced out to an 18-7 lead by the 10:04 mark, but a pair of triples from Taylor and sophomore Kat LaPrairie (Rockford, Mich.) cut the lead to seven, 20-13, with 6:34 to play.
The Cardinals continued to hold a 25-15 advantage with 5:11 on the clock. A pair of free throws from senior Alex Stelfox (Bowie, Md.), eight straight points from Watson and another successful trip to the line from Taylor made it a 30-27 game in SVSU’s favor with less than two minutes to play.
A trifecta from Kristen Greene opened the Cardinals’ lead back to seven, but senior Breanna Kellogg (DeWitt, Mich.) and Watson hit back-to-back three-pointers to make it a tie game, 33-33, at the half.
Saginaw Valley State stayed one step ahead of the Lakers, holding a one-to-six point lead, over the opening 10 minutes of the half. A Stelfox make tied the game at 47-47 at the 10:21 mark before SVSU went on a 14-5 run that made the difference in the game.
The Lakers recorded just four field goals in the final five minutes of the game, while SVSU hit 10 of its 18 second-half free throws down the stretch to avenge its loss to GVSU in January.
Grand Valley State shot 40 percent on 21-of-52 from the floor including 9-for-21 from beyond the arc. SVSU was 22-for-58 shooting for a 37 percent clip, while making up the difference with an 80 percent outing from the line on 21-of-26.
Katelyn Carriere had a team-high 21 points in the Cardinals win with a 10-for-12 performance from the charity stripe. Greene tallied 17 points off the bench, while Emily Wendling added 10. Samantha Zirzow was held to just five points, half of her season average, but grabbed 10 boards to help SVSU outrebound the Lakers 41-33.
The Lakers look to bounce back from the loss against Wayne State on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m.
