INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team defeated Marian University 63-59 tonight (Nov. 26) for their first win of the 2011-12 season and for first year head coach Jamie Pewinski. 

Saginaw Valley was led by Meijer "Player of the Game" Jasmine Woods (Lansing, Mich./Holt HS) who scored 14 points in the victory.  Woods scored all of her points in the second half, as she went a perfect 14-of-14 from the free throw line, to help the Cardinals claim their first victory of the season.

The Cardinals shot 40.8 percent from the floor on 20-of-49 shooting for the contest.  The big difference in the game was from the free throw line, as SVSU converted on 23-of-29 attempts.  Saginaw Valley also won the battle of the boards, out-rebounding Marian 42-28 for the game.  Cheritee Green (Wyoming Park, Mich./Wyoming Park HS) added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds.  Freshman Samantha Zirzow (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich HS) dropped in 11 points and pulled down five boards, while Grace Herzog (Linden, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) added 11 points and four rebounds.

After entering the intermission trailing 29-25, the Cardinals would start their second half comeback on a Herzog layup, cutting the Marian lead to 39-35 with 12:45 to play.  SVSU would take their first lead of the second half on a free throw by Woods with 10:23 to play.  Saginaw Valley would take the lead for good at the 8:47 mark on a Zirzow layup.  Over the next four minutes the Cardinals would build their lead to as many as 10 points, before having to weather one last Marian run, that ended with a 63-59 Cardinal victory.  As a team, Saginaw Valley shot 20-of-24 from the free throw line in the second half.

With the win, the Cardinals improve to 1-3 overall on the season, while Marian falls to 5-2.  SVSU will return to action on December 1 when they host Lake Superior State University for their 2011-12 GLIAC opener at James E. O'Neill Arena at 6:00 PM.