BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University men's basketball team fell 85-76 at Ferris State on Monday night. The Cardinals (9-9, 3-7 GLIAC) trailed by as much as 17 points and battled back to get within six points of the Bulldogs (9-8, 6-4 GLIAC), but fell short in a losing effort.
Javontae Ross (Flint, Mich. / Flint Powers HS) had a career night as he led the team with a career-high 21 points, five rebounds, and four steals off the bench.
Triston Nichols (Shelby Twp., Mich. / De La Salle HS) scored the first two baskets for SVSU in the opening five minutes of play to put the score at 6-5 in favor of Ferris State. Marquese Josephs (Mississauga, Ontario) made a layup to the Cardinals the 7-6 advantage going into the first media timeout of the half.
The Bulldogs made three free throws to start a 19-1 run that spanned over six minutes and gave FSU its largest lead of the game, 25-8, with 8:23 on the clock in the first half.
Aidan Duran (Spring, Texas / Victory Rock Prep) stopped the run with a three-point bucket that got SVSU back on track and the Cardinals outscored Ferris State 14-4 to trim the deficit to just four points, 29-25 with just over two and a half minutes left before the break.
Ross made two free throws in the final second of play that put the score at 40-34, Ferris State, as the teams entered the locker room at the half.
The Bulldogs made a three to start the second half and built another small lead, but the Cardinals kept battling back and Ross made another free throw at 12:21 that put the deficit at just two points (51-49).
FSU responded with six-straight points to pull further ahead again and build a double-digit lead (64-54) with just over 7:30 left in regulation.
The lead grew to 16 points late, but SVSU kept fighting and got back to within five points, but missed opportunities at the free throw line thwarted the Cardinals' comeback effort and the Bulldogs held on to take the win.
Josephs and Nichols finished the game with 13 and 10 points respectively. Josephs added a team-best six rebounds and shot 5-of-8 from the field. Nichols pulled down five boards and three steals in the losing effort. Xavier Thomas (Detroit, Mich. / Brother Rice HS) scored 11 points and tied with Dontez Scott II (Romulus, Mich. / Summit Academy North) for the team-lead in assists with five.
UP NEXT: SVSU will return home to play Parkside this Thursday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
