UNIVERSITY CENTER - Junior center Cassy Schemberger scored a career-high 23 points and tied her season high of nine rebounds for the Lake Superior State women's basketball team, which won Thursday's Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference opener 76-64 at Saginaw Valley State.

LSSU senior guard Emily Joseph scored a season-high 20 points, and sophomore forward Maria Blazejewski tied her season highs of 17 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Nicole Marshall added nine points and eight rebounds. Rounding out LSSU's starting lineup was senior guard Ronlea Peterson, who totaled seven assists and five steals.

Schemberger was 6-of-7 from the field in the second half and 10-of-17 for the game. She also came through with her third straight nine-rebound performance. Joseph and Schemberger combined to score 23 points in the first half, which LSSU led, 37-28.

LSSU (4-3 overall, 1-0 GLIAC) closed out the opening half with an 8-0 run that included three-pointers by Joseph and Blazejewski, and two free throws by Schemberger.

Midway through the second half, Schemberger scored nine points during an 11-0 Laker run that gave LSSU a 51-37 command with 14:18 remaining. Lake Superior State extended the lead to 16 points, 74-58, with 2:51 to go.

LSSU shot 48.4 percent from the field, including 16-of-29 during the second half. The Lakers made 7-of-12 three-pointers and 9-of-12 free throws. They committed only 12 turnovers.

Brittany Burkhardt scored 15 points, and Cheritee Green had 13 points and 13 rebounds to lead SVSU (2-4 overall, 0-1 GLIAC). The Cardinals shot 43.9 percent from the field, including 5-of-15 from behind the arc, and made 9-of-11 free throws. They out-rebounded LSSU, 35-33.

Lake Superior State plays at 3 p.m. Saturday at Northwood.

SVSU vs. LSSU Boxscore