UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. - Saginaw Valley women's basketball dropped a 75-61 decision to Wisconsin-Parkside on Wednesday evening at James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena. The Cardinals were within striking distance through the first half, but Parkside used control of the paint and points off turnovers to pull away after halftime.

Saginaw Valley was led offensively by Meijer Player of the Game, Lydia Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS), who scored 17 points to pace the Cardinals and led the team with eight rebounds. Lauren Borsenik (Hemlock, Mich. / Hemlock HS) followed with 15 and five boards. Kaitlyn Geurink (Hamilton, Mich. / Hamilton HS) was the final Cardinal in double figures with 10 points.

SVSU shot 22-of-49 from the field (44.9 percent) and 5-of-16 from three-point range (31.3 percent). The Cardinals went 12-of-16 at the free-throw line (75.0 percent) and finished with 27 rebounds and eight assists. Parkside held advantages in points in the paint (42-30), points off turnovers (24-8), and second-chance points (15-6), while forcing 22 turnovers. The Rangers finished with 37 rebounds and went 19-of-28 from the free-throw line.

The opening quarter featured tight play and frequent lead changes. Parkside scored first, but Saginaw Valley answered when Lainey Yater (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette HS) knocked down a three to give the Cardinals an early edge. Borsenik hit a three and another jumper to put SVSU ahead 10-3. However, Parkside closed on a 13-5 run in the first quarter to take the one-point lead after 10 minutes of play.

The second quarter continued the back-and-forth momentum. Meredith and Emma Dziezgowski (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) connected on threes to push the Cardinals ahead. A three at the end of the half for Parkside sent both teams into the locker room tied at 33-33.

Momentum shifted coming out of the break as Parkside opened the third quarter on a 10-3 run. Saginaw Valley struggled to generate consistent offense during the stretch, and the Rangers extended the margin to 53-45 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals continued to battle in the final period and cut the deficit to single digits during multiple possessions, but each push was answered by Parkside. The Rangers sealed the game at the free-throw line to secure the 75–61 win.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley is back at home on Saturday, January 31 to close out the first month of the year. The Cardinals host the Roosevelt Lakers with tip-off set for 1:00 PM from James E.  O'Neill Arena.