UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - The Davenport women's basketball team played a tight contest on Saturday at Saginaw Valley State, but could not break into the win column by a final of 77-73. The game featured seven ties and 17 lead changes and neither team by double figures in the game.
In the first quarter, Saginaw Valley State led by as many as five points at 20-15 with 35 seconds left. The Cardinals led 22-18 after 10 minutes. The Panthers used an 8-0 run early in the second quarter to take a 26-24 lead. The Panthers led 33-30 with 5:14 left until the half and then the Cardinals closed out with seven of the next nine points to lead 37-35 at the break.
Davenport could not score early in the third quarter and trailed 42-35 when
Martyna Pioro layup at the 7:19 mark. SVSU built the lead to 46-37 their largest of the game at the 6:33 mark, but DU responded over the next three minutes to get within 46-45 after a pair of
Taylor Opolka free throws. DU trailed 51-50 after three quarters as
Leighten Koepke made a late three-pointer to end the quarter.
The Panthers took a 52-51 lead on the first points of the fourth quarter. DU looked to take control going up 64-58 after a three-point play by
Toni Grace and then four straight free throws by Grace and Pioro. The Cardinals then stormed back on a huge 10-0 run to regain the lead at 68-64 with 1:27 to play. DU trailed 70-68 after a
Jenna Falkenberg layup with 51 seconds left, but the Cardinals got two free throws by Maddie Maloney and then a basket by Hannah Settingsgaard to lead 74-69 with 31 seconds to go. DU missed on a three-pointer on their next possession and the game was iced as Maloney made three more free throws in the final 20 seconds.
Falkenberg notched her ninth double-double of the season with 25 points and 15 rebounds. She went 10-of-18 from the floor and also had a block in 30 minutes. Grace finished with 18 points and five rebounds. Pioro had 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting including 2-of-2 behind the arc. DU shot 42.6 percent for the game (26-of-61) and were 14-of-19 at the free throw line (73.7 percent). The Cardinals did damage from the arc going 12-of-23 as six players scored in double figures including all five starters.
