UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball showed stretches of competitiveness Saturday afternoon but came up short in a 67–51 loss to No. 13 Northern Michigan at the James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena.

The Wildcats set the tone early, holding SVSU to eight first-quarter points to build an early cushion. The Cardinals settled in during the second quarter, shooting 63.6 percent from the field and outscoring Northern Michigan 19–14 to trim the deficit to 32–27 at the break including a buzzer beating three from Emma Dziezgowski (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS).

Northern Michigan regained control coming out of halftime, using efficient perimeter shooting to post a 23–11 third quarter and extend the margin. SVSU continued to compete defensively in the fourth, but the Wildcats maintained separation down the stretch to secure the road win.

SVSU finished the game shooting 37.5 percent (18-of-48) from the field and 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from three-point range, while converting 8-of-10 at the free-throw line. The Cardinals were challenged on the glass, trailing 41–29 in rebounding, and Northern Michigan capitalized on 23 SVSU turnovers.

Meijer Player of the Game, Lydia Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS), led the Cardinals with 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Lauren Borsenik (Hemlock, Mich. / Hemlock HS) added 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, while Kaitlyn Geurink (Hamilton, Mich. / Hamilton HS) contributed 10 points. Laynie Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS) finished with six points, all from three-point range.

When asked about their performance, head coach Jenny Pruett said,

"We did a better job today at trusting each other and working together. I love the fight defensively. We knew it was going to be a defensive battle, and they were going to hit some tough shots, but it was going to be about how we responded."

Up Next: Saginaw Valley women's basketball is back at home for another game on Thursday, January 22 before heading on the road the following Monday. The Cardinals host Lake Superior State with tip-off at 5:30 PM on Thursday before heading to Ferris State for a 5:30 tip-off four days later.