2-21-02
Basketball
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Lakers Stop Cardinals 63-58

Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.- The SVSU women's basketball team suffered a close defeat at league-leading Lake Superior State University 63-58 on Thursday (Feb. 21). The Cardinals overcame a ten-point deficit in the first half to take the lead midway through the second frame, but could not hold on in the closing minutes.
   The game was tied at 56 with 1:41 left before LSSU's Danielle Pettingill hit a three-pointer to give the Lakers a brief 59-56 lead. The Cardinals quickly responded as Erin Johnson (Saginaw/Heritage HS) connected from the field to trim the lead to 59-58. Alice Deusing pushed the Lakers ahead by three when she connected on a jumper with 37 seconds left in the game.
   Jenny Brown's (Evanston Ill./Evanston Township HS) three-point attempt to tie the game was off the mark, but SVSU still had life as Pettingill missed the front end of a one-and-one. Trailing 61-58 with 17.5 seconds left, the Cardinals called timeout. Kathryn Williams' (Detroit/Martin Luther King HS) three-point attempt came up short and SVSU was forced to foul Deusing who connected on two free throws to preserve the Laker win.
   Johnson led the Cardinals with 17 points, while Jenny White (Oxford) and Bridgett Lamar (Ypsilanti) each added nine. Deusing led all scorers with 20 points, while Allyson Conaway grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
   The loss drops SVSU to 9-16 (3-14 GLIAC). The win gives Lake Superior (20-4, 14-4 GLIAC) their first conference championship. The Cardinals close out their schedule on Saturday (Feb. 23) at Northwood, with tipoff set for 6:00 p.m.

Contact: Jason Yaman (989) 790-4053

                                                                # # # #