SAGINAW, Mich. — The IU Northwest RedHawks led for stretches of the first half Monday night, but a 16-0 Saginaw Valley State run and a dominant second half decided it as the RedHawks fell, 96-65, at James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena.
Saginaw Valley scored the game's first basket, but IU Northwest answered. Tommy Snyder tied it at 2 on a layup, and Zach Greene scored four of the RedHawks' first eight points. Amarion Johnson's layup and free throw put IU Northwest up 9-8 for its first lead.
Greene then added back-to-back layups for a 13-10 lead. Johnson hit a jumper off a Romello Ali assist to make it 15-10, and Ali followed with a layup for a 17-12 edge.
The momentum shifted midway through the half. Amauri Moore's layup off a Snyder assist made it 19-15, but the RedHawks did not score again for more than four minutes. Saginaw Valley ripped off 16 straight points, sparked by Michael Sulaka, Triston Nichols and Niko Newsome, and led 31-19 with five minutes left in the half. Johnson scored the final four points of the period, including a jumper with 37 seconds left, but IU Northwest trailed 39-28 at the break.
Snyder scored the first four points of the second half to keep the RedHawks within striking distance, but Saginaw Valley answered with a 12-2 stretch, capped by a Newsome dunk, to open a 45-32 lead. Trey Steinhilber's 3-pointer with 11:43 left cut the deficit to 45-60, but the Cardinals went back to work. Dontez Scott II controlled the stretch from there, scoring 14 of his 22 points after halftime.
IU Northwest tried to make one more push. Taray Howell scored on a tip-in, DJ Bates followed with a layup and a jumper, and Howell's layup off a Johnson assist made it 57-71 with 5:45 to play. Saginaw Valley responded with a 10-0 run, including a Nate Washburn dunk, to put the game out of reach. Jordan Ireland's jumper with one second left capped the scoring.
Johnson led IU Northwest with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and two blocks. Greene and Snyder each added 10 points, and Howell also finished with 10. Bates scored six points in eight minutes, and Ali and Moore each added four.
The RedHawks turned the ball over 22 times, leading to 40 Saginaw Valley points, and the home team outscored them 26-5 on fast breaks. IU Northwest shot 41.5 percent and went 1-of-10 from 3-point range, while Saginaw Valley made 25 of 31 free throws.
IU Northwest travels to Rochester Christian University in Rochester Hills, Mich., on Saturday, Nov. 14. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CST.
