Despite losing to the No. 12 Ashland University Eagles 72-57 on Saturday, Dec. 12, the game was a special moment for one of the team’s best players.
Junior Emily Wendling surpassed 1,000 points for her career. She came into the game needing 12 points for 1,000, finally reaching the mark in the third quarter. Wendling would finish with a team-best 14 points on the day, along with five rebounds and two blocks.
“That’s a great accomplishment for (Wendling), and she would be the first to tell you that without the help of her teammates, she wouldn’t have reached 1,000 points so early in her career,” said head coach Jamie Pewinski. “Everyone knows that Emily is a huge part of what we want to do on both ends of the floor, but without the work (Wendling) puts in, we wouldn’t be able to count on her the way we do.
“She deserves every accolade she receives, and I’m just excited that I get to coach her for a while longer,” Pewinski added.
However, her efforts weren’t enough to get the win.
After racing out to an early lead, SVSU was able to fend off an aggressive Ashland team. The Cardinals led 14-6 at one point in the first quarter before the Eagles came storming back.
An Ashland three-point shot just as the first quarter ended gave the Eagles a 15-14 lead, their first of the game.
Wendling would score soon after the start of the second to give SVSU the lead, but the Cardinals would not lead for long.
Ashland quickly regained the lead and then added to it. The Eagles outscored SVSU 20-8 in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 35-22 advantage.
Both teams came out for the second half ready to play. The Cardinals were able to cut into the deficit, pulling within eight points of a tie, before Ashland pulled away again.
SVSU kept it close but was outscored by three points in the third quarter and couldn’t quite make up the deficit it found itself in after the disastrous second quarter.
A quick five points off the bench from Danielle Carriere combined with a timely three-point shot from her sister, Katelyn Carriere, brought the Cardinals to within 17. SVSU would go on to outscore Ashland in the final quarter 19-18 but could never make up enough ground.
Danielle Carriere finished second on the team with 10 points. Freshman Halee Nieman added eight points.
Wendling and senior Alex Green both pulled down five rebounds apiece to lead the team in that category.
Turnovers were the key to the game, as Ashland scored 23 points off 22 SVSU turnovers. The Cardinals managed just eight points off 15 Eagles turnovers.
Ashland outrebounded the Cardinals 39-26 while outscoring SVSU in the paint, 46-30.
The loss drops the Cardinals to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the GLIAC.
Up next for the Lady Cardinals is another road game. SVSU will travel to Ohio to take on the Lake Erie Storm. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19.
