KENOSHA, Wis. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball program traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin Saturday afternoon to do battle with Parkside. The Cardinals (4-10, 2-4 GLIAC) fell to the Rangers (7-7, 2-4 GLIAC) with a final score of 79-66. SVSU battled early, but UWP used a big third quarter and a flurry of three-pointers to pull away at De Simone Arena.
The Cardinals came out sharp and aggressive, opening the game with strong pace and paint touches to take an early lead. SVSU scored 22 points in the first quarter and stayed within striking distance at the break despite a low-scoring second period, trailing 32-30 at halftime.
Parkside changed the game coming out of the locker room. The Rangers stretched the floor and knocked down shots from deep in the third, outscoring SVSU 23-15 to build separation. Jaelyn Derlein led the surge, finishing with a game-high 20 points on six three-pointers, while Lillie Petersen added 16 points and Cassidy Arni orchestrated the offense with 11 assists.
SVSU continued to fight in the fourth, but Parkside stayed poised and kept its lead at the free throw line and with timely buckets to close out the 79-66 win.
Lauren Borsenik (Hemlock, Mich. / Hemlock HS) paced the Cardinals with 15 points, hitting 3-of-3 from three-point range while adding three blocks and three assists. Kaitlyn Geurink (Hamilton, Mich. / Hamilton HS) scored 14 points, going 10-for-12 at the charity stripe with five rebounds. Lydia Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS) added 13 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, while Megan McCalla (Chelsea, Mich. / Chelsea HS) chipped in 12 points.
As a team, SVSU shot 22-for-53 from the field and 17-for-24 at the line. Parkside finished 10-for-24 from three and totaled 24 assists on 27 made field goals.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley comes back home for three games over eight days. The Cardinals host Michigan Tech on Thursday, January 15 with tip-off set for 5:30 PM. They welcome Northern Michigan on Saturday at 1:00 PM before Lake Superior State comes to town the following Thursday at 5:30 PM.