COLUMBUS, Ohio – With several starters out due to injury, Ohio Dominican's women's basketball team put forth a scrappy effort before falling 67-57 to Saginaw Valley Thursday night in GLIAC play from Alumni Hall.

The setback dropped ODU to 3-1 (0-1 GLIAC), while the Cardinals improved to 2-2 (1-0).

Four players scored in double figures for the Panthers, led by a team-high 17 points from sophomore guard Kacee Hockenberry (Haviland, Ohio). Freshman forward Melissa Scherpenberg (Cincinnati, Ohio) authored a monstrous double-double with 12 points and a season-high 18 rebounds – the most boards by a Panther since 2007.

Also chipping in with 10 points apiece was junior forward Katelyn Stuckey (Millersburg, Ohio) and sophomore guard Micaela Liddane (Grosse Point Woods, Mich.). Liddane's total was a season-high, and she also had a season-best four assists.

ODU built a 19-11 lead midway through the first period on the strength of a 9-2 run, highlighted by triple hits from Liddane and Scherpenberg. Sophomore guard Holly Brunswick (Fort Recovery, Ohio) and Hockenberry later hit threes to keep the Panthers in front by seven, and a jumper in the paint by Hockenberry gave ODU its biggest lead of the half at 32-23 with 2:54 to go.

The Cardinals cut the deficit to 34-30 at intermission, though, and drew even at 40-40 eight minutes into play in the second half. SVSU took a 48-47 lead with 9:04 to play, its first since the opening two minutes of the ballgame, and stretched it to nine points at 59-50 with just over five minutes left.

Liddane stuck a tough jump shot to bring the Panthers to back within six, 61-55, with three and a half minutes left, but that was as close as ODU would get as the Black and Gold managed just two more points down the stretch.

It was a tale of two halves for the Panther offense, which shot 40.6 percent in the opening frame (13-of-32) but only managed to shoot 23.8 percent after intermission (5-of-21). ODU drilled 6-of-10 three-pointers in the first half, but hit just 1-of-6 after the break.

SVSU had a 42-18 edge in points in the paint, 20-7 lead in points off turnovers, and 10-1 in second chance points.

Scherpenberg, who notched her first career double-double, also had three blocks and four steals, which were also career-bests.

Ohio Dominican returns to the court with a 3 p.m. tip Saturday against Wayne State in Alumni Hall.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu