UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - Despite a game-high 24 points from Justin Ward, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville let a 17-point lead slip away in a 63-60 loss at Saginaw Valley State.
         The loss evens SIUE record at 1-1. The Cougars next play at Murray State on Saturday with tip-off set for 7:15 p.m. Saginaw Valley State improved to 2-0.
         Ward hit all four of SIUE's three-pointers in what was mostly a defensive struggle. Tim Bauersachs added 13 points for the Cougars.
         SIUE held Saginaw Valley to 42 percent shooting from the field. However, SVSU hit 10 of 22 from three-point range.
         SIUE led at halftime 35-29 and extended its lead to 17 after a 14-3 run to start the second half. After cutting the lead to 55-47, SVSU got a boost with 7:09 to play when SIUE center Dan Heimos fouled out on a technical foul.
         SVSU continued to chip away at SIUE's lead until Kenneth Nether evened the score 60-60 with 1:10 to play and then hit the eventual game-winning jumper with 40 seconds left.
         Saginaw Valley starters Nether and Anthony Parker scored 11 points each. But it was the SVSU bench, which outscored SIUE 36-11 that made the difference. Brandon Ball led all SVSU scorers with 14 points each.
                  -siue cougars-