Women’s Basketball Drops Exhibition Contest to SVSU

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UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — Playing their second game in as many days, head coach Craig Covington and the Marygrove women’s basketball team were outdone by a Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals squad that owned a decisive size advantage. One day after losing a close contest in the Chicago area, the Mustangs (2-11) dropped the exhibition tilt to the host NCAA Division II Cardinals (5-5) by a 92-46 final Sunday (Dec. 21) at O’Neill Arena in University Center.

After going down 12-0 at the 16:30 mark of the first half, the Mustangs were able to get on the board off of a Raeha Weaver (Battle Creek, Mich./Kellogg CC) fast break lay-in with 16:18 remaining in the opening stanza. Weaver went on to tally the Mustangs first 11 points as the senior guard helping the Green and Gold keep pace early on.

Outdone by a furious offensive attack by the Cardinals, the Mustangs went into halftime down 50-21 after the hosts shot a blistering 50% compared to the Green and Gold’s 17.1% effort from the floor.

Janeesa Jamierson (Battle Creek, Mich./Kellogg CC) tallied four first half points, none bigger than the senior’s free throws at the 7:12 mark – the first basket by a Mustang not named Raeha Weaver in the exhibition contest.

The Mustangs battled hard in the latter half as Tiffany Bradford (Detroit, Mich./Dakota College) connected on a pair of deep three-point baskets to ignite the Green and Gold’s offense. Bradford’s long-line connections helped the Mustangs climb to within 23 points, 50-27, two minutes into second half play.

The 23-point deficit was as close as the Mustangs would get Sunday as the team fended off foul trouble and a size disadvantage in the paint the rest of the way to drop the exhibition contest, 92-46.

Saginaw Valley used a 48-8 advantage in the paint and a 28-6 edge in bench scoring to pull away from the Mustangs Sunday afternoon.  

Weaver paced the Mustangs with a game-high tying 18 points, six steals and four rebounds. Bradford followed closely with 15 points, all coming on three-point baskets, while Jamierson added seven points for Covington and the Mustangs.

The Cardinals were led by Samantha Zirzow with 18 points and Emily Wendling with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

The Mustangs return to action Dec. 29 and 30 at the Davenport (Mich.) Holiday Tournament. Fellow NAIA counterpart Roosevelt (Ill.) awaits the Mustangs in game one of the tournament at 8:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CONTACT: Tim Johnston | tjohnston@marygrove.edu | @tjohnston56
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