UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. -- Northern Michigan University's Men's Basketball team visiting Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foe Saginaw Valley State University Saturday afternoon but fell to the Cardinals 92-66.

Junior Isaiah Johnson (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) paced the Wildcat offense with 27 points.  Sophomore Will Carius (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) added 12 points.

Sophomore Myles Howard (Chicago, Ill./Marian Catholic) posted three blocked shots and led the team with eight rebounds. 

Johnson scored first for NMU with a three-pointer to start the game with a 3-0 lead.  The Cardinals answered with four points, but Johnson made a layup to take back the lead.  After the hosts made a basket, junior Naba Echols (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) hit a three to give NMU an 8-6 lead three minutes into the game.  SVSU responded with a 14-0 run to take a 20-8 lead until senior Jordan Perez (Greendale, Wis.) ended the rally with a three-pointer. 

The Cardinals then scored six-straight points which ended with back-to-back threes, then hit two free throws to make the score 26-19 with 6:50 to go in the first half.    This time, SVSU answered with 11-straight points which ended with a Johnson jumper to make it 37-21 with 2:35 to play in the first half. 

Johnson scored seven more points to end the first half, but the hosts took a 45-28 lead into the break. 

In the second half, sophomore Sam Taylor (Chicago, Ill./Thornton) and Johnson scored four points, but the Cardinals answered was soon ahead 50-34.  Johnson would pull NMU within 14 by hitting a three-pointer later in the half, but it would be the closest the Wildcats would get and eventually fell 92-66. 

NMU falls to 14-9 on the season and 11-5 in the GLIAC while SVSU improved to 9-15 and 7-9 in the league.  The team now returns to the Berry Events Center for the remainder of the regular season and will host GLIAC rival Lake Superior State University Thursday evening.