HOUGHTON, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball came up just short in a tightly contested GLIAC matchup at Michigan Tech on Saturday afternoon, falling 68–67 inside the SDC Gymnasium. The Cardinals erased an early deficit, led for much of the second half, and had multiple chances in the final seconds, but the Huskies held on at the free-throw line to secure the one-point victory.

Megan McCalla (Chelsea, Mich. / Chelsea HS) led Saginaw Valley with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Lydia Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS) added 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists and was 5-7 from beyond the arc before a trio of attempts late in the game left her at 5-10 from distance. Kaitlyn Geurink (Hamilton, Mich. / Hamilton HS) finished with 12 points and six rebounds, and Lainey Yater (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette HS) chipped in 10 points.

Michigan Tech jumped out to a quick start, building an early lead behind strong interior play and trips to the free-throw line. Saginaw Valley responded with timely perimeter shooting, as Meredith and Geurink connected from deep to keep the Cardinals within striking distance. The Huskies broke out in the first and used an 11-2 run to go ahead 22-11. Meredith and Geurink kept raining threes, eventually tying the game at 29-29 on Meredith's third triple of the quarter. McCalla hit the final shot of the half with two seconds left to make it 33-31 heading into the break.

The Cardinals carried momentum into the third quarter, opening the half with improved defensive pressure and efficient scoring. Emma Dziezgowski (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) hit a three with two and a half to play in the third to put SVSU ahead 40-39. She converted on a bucket plus the and-one and Chloe Kilbride (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg HS) hit a three to put SVSU ahead by five heading into the fourth. Yater kept the pace for the Cardinals in the fourth as McCalla hit her four attempts from the charity stripe. A pair of layups and a three helped Tech take back the lead at 66-63 in the final minute. SVSU had looks from three to tie it but couldn't find the bottom of the net as McCalla made a layup off an offensive rebound to cut the lead to one. However, the final inbound went the length of the court and the Huskies ran out the remaining seconds.

Saginaw Valley shot 36.9 percent (24-of-65) from the field and 27.0 percent (10-of-37) from three-point range, while converting 9-of-10 free throws (90.0 percent). The Cardinals held advantages in second-chance points (18-4) and points off turnovers (11-10) and finished with 36 rebounds. Michigan Tech shot 43.6 percent overall, went 15-of-19 at the line, and held a slight 39-36 edge on the glass.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley women's basketball heads back up to the Upper Peninsula on Thursday, February 12. The Cardinals play Lake Superior State with tip-off set for 5:30 PM from the Bud Cooper Gymnasium in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.