UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw
Valley State University men's basketball team snapped the
University of Findlay's conference-long 34 game GLIAC winning
streak Thursday night (Dec. 3). The Cardinals defeated the #9
Oilers by a score of 83-69. The win was the first Cardinal victory
over Findlay since the 1992-93 season and their first GLIAC opening
win since December, 2003.
The Cardinals took their first lead of the game when Meijer
Player of the Game Chris Webb (Saginaw, Mich. / Arthur Hill HS)
netted a lay-up with 9:56 left in the first half and would not let
up as they kept the lead the rest of the way. Just three minutes
later, Saginaw Valley took their biggest lead of the half as they
went up 27-16 when sophomore Sean Romsek (Fowlerville, Mich.)
connected on a pair of free throws. Romsek would end the night with
13 points and two rebounds. The Cardinals were led in the first
half by junior Keithan Jackson (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Godwin
Heights HS) who scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.
Saginaw Valley dominated the second half, going up as many as 26
points with ten minutes left in the game. Midway through the second
period, Webb put the Cardinals on his back by scoring eight of the
teams ten points within a three-minute span. Webb would lead the
Cardinals in the second half with 13 points, while senior Avery
Stephenson (Romulus, Mich.) added 11 points and grabbed three
rebounds.
Saginaw Valley was led overall by Jackson who posted his fourth
double-double of the season with 22 points and 17 rebounds, it is
Jackson's third game with at least 17 rebounds this season.
Webb ended the night with 18 points and two steals while Stephenson
added 15 points and six rebounds. As a team, the Cardinals went
15-for-19 from the free throw line and scored 38 of their 83 points
in the paint.
With the win, Saginaw Valley improves to 4-1 overall on the
season and 1-0 in the GLIAC while Findlay falls to 3-2 overall on
the season and 0-1 in the GLIAC. The Cardinals will return to
action on Saturday (Dec. 5) as they host Hillsdale College in their
second GLIAC match-up of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00
p.m.
