SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball battled throughout Thursday evening but fell 69-62 at Lake Superior. The Cardinals (5-18, 3-12 GLIAC) trimmed the deficit to as few as two points in the second half and had multiple late opportunities, but the Lakers (6-17, 3-12) closed the game at the free-throw line to secure the GLIAC victory.

Megan McCalla (Chelsea, Mich. / Chelsea HS) led Saginaw Valley with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting while adding five rebounds and two assists. Kaitlyn Geurink (Hamilton, Mich. / Hamilton HS) finished with 14 points, including two three-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 mark at the free-throw line. Lydia Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS) added nine points, six rebounds, and three steals, while Lainey Yater (McDonald, Pa. / South Fayette HS) contributed five points and a team-high six rebounds. Emma Dziezgowski (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) chipped in six points off the bench. Lake Superior State was led by two double-double performances with Grace Bradford scoring 24 points and totaling 10 rebounds, while Dara Capaldi added 18 points and 12 boards.

SVSU got out in front before back-to-back threes for LSSU took a 10-6 lead in the first. The Cardinals kept it tight throughout the first frame until the Lakers pushed ahead late with a 7-0 run. Chloe Kilbride (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg HS) hit a three in response, but Lake Superior State took a 21-13 lead into the second quarter. Saginaw Valley got a three from Geurink and McCalla to cut the lead to five halfway through the second. They used a three from Yater and two layups for McCalla and one for Meredith to keep the game within two, but the Lakers extended the lead with a 4-0 run to close the half up 38-32.

The teams traded blows in the third but a 7-0 run by Bradford expanded the lead to 11. Dziezgowski got a pair threes to bring SVSU back into the game and McCalla and Meredith followed with buckets of their own to tie the game at 51-51. Lake Superior State got a pair of free throws and a layup at the end of the quarter to take the four-point lead into thee fourth. 5-0 runs for both teams pushed it to 60-56 LSSU. A Meredith three and a layup for McCalla brought it to a one-possession game late as the Cardinals trailed 65-62 with 52 seconds left. A couple of missed shots were followed up with four free throws for LSSU as they closed out with a seven-point win.

Saginaw Valley shot 34.4 percent (22-of-64) from the field and 30.8 percent (8-of-26) from three-point range. The Cardinals finished with 35 rebounds and 12 assists, and forced 17 Lake Superior State turnovers. The Lakers shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54) overall and 40.0 percent (6-of-15) from beyond the arc, outrebounding SVSU 41–35 and holding a 12–5 edge in second-chance points.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley women's basketball comes home Saturday, February 14 for a Valentine's Day matchup against No. 17 Ferris State. The Cardinals and Bulldogs tip-off at 1:00 PM for Hometown Day.