ALLENDALE – Another lopsided loss has put the Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team in jeopardy of missing a berth in the postseason.
     Former Cardinal player and coach Claudette Charney watched her Grand Valley State University squad widen the gap between the two schools' playoff hopes with a 93-69 win in the GVSU Fieldhouse Thursday.
     As the stretch run in the GLIAC begins in earnest, two teams clinging to hopes for an "at large" berth in the league's post-season tournament locked horns. Grand Valley took a two-game lead over the Cardinals, who dropped a season-high fourth straight game.
     The Lakers led 8-7 with 16:30 left in the first half, then scored eight unanswered points during the next 3:35. The lead was never smaller than 10 points for the final 11:47 of the half and GVSU led 39-24 at intermission.
     SVSU never threatened to seriously dent the lead in the second half and dropped to 8-11 overall and 4-8 in the GLIAC North Division. Grand Valley has a solid hold on fifth place in the North with a 6-6 mark and is 11-8 overall. The top four teams in the division will gain berths in the post-season tournament, along with a team from either division with the best record.
     The Cards committed 32 turnovers to just 17 for the Lakers, and were out-rebounded 46-41.
     Laker senior Mary Randall scored a game-high 33 points and became the school's all-time leading scorer in the process. A dozen other players scored for GVSU, but only Amber Berndt, with 16 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, managed double figures.
     Senior Jill Herbig (Hamilton) scored a career-high 32 points for SVSU, leading the team in scoring for the 12th straight game. Sophomore Jenny White (Oxford) added 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
     Things don't get any easier for the Cardinals, who continue a five-game road trip with game against the top three teams in the division, Saturday at third-place Ferris State University.

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