UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball program opened up their 2023-24 season at home against the Northwood Timberwolves Friday evening. The Cardinals fell 86-78 to their rival from down US-10.
Aleshia Jones had a big game for Saginaw Valley on Friday leading all scorers with 34 points. Jones shot 12-22 from the field and was 6-13 from three-point range. Lydia Meredith was second on the team with 16 points and Lauren Sollom had 10 to round out the double-digit scorers. Sollom was effective shooting 5-7.
After a 4-0 run to start the quarter for Northwood, Jones hit two threes to aid an 8-3 run for SVSU to take the lead. A 12-3 run off the back of an Emma Dziezgowski three, a bucket by Jones and Sollom, and another three for Jones powered the Cardinals to a 20-12 lead in the first quarter. Saginaw Valley extended that lead to 26-16 before the end of the first.
The second quarter was the trouble spot for SVSU. The Timberwolves took a 12-0 run in the early part of the second quarter to take the lead back 28-26. Then a 15-2 run pushed the lead to double digits for NU making it 43-30 late in the quarter and took a nine-point lead into halftime.
Returning from halftime, SVSU had an 8-0 run to cut the lead to one with two buckets from Sollom, one from Tyler Scheid, and one from Meredith. Northwood responded with a 12-2 run to gain back the double-digit lead.
A and-one play for Meredith brought the lead to eight as SVSU pushed back in the fourth quarter. Then, an 8-0 run coming from two buckets by Jones and Sollom made it 66-65 Northwood half way through the fourth quarter. A quick 5-0 run for the Timberwolves extended the lead before Jones hit two more three-pointers. Down the stretch, the free throw game helped keep Northwood ahead and eventually gave them the eight-point lead for the 86-78 final.
SVSU women's basketball is back in action Saturday, November 11 as they welcome the University of Findlay to O'Neill Arena for their second game of the season. Tip off is set for 1:00 PM
