UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team fell to No. 3 Grand Valley State, 68-42, Thursday night at James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena. The Cardinals (5-20, 3-14 GLIAC) held the Lakers (24-1, 16-1 GLIAC) to their third-lowest scoring effort of the year, the two lowest being 66 and 67 points.
Megan McCalla (Chelsea, Mich. / Chelsea HS) led Saginaw Valley with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting and went 6-for-8 at the free throw line while adding five rebounds. Emma Dziezgowski (Bethel Park, Pa. / Bethel Park HS) finished with 10 points off the bench, knocking down a three-pointer and adding a pair of field goals. Lydia Meredith (Portland, Mich. / Portland St. Patrick's HS) contributed six points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Bella Paradowski (Melbourne, Australia / CRC Sydenham) added seven points and six boards in the effort.
In the opening half, Grand Valley State used a 9-0 run in the first quarter to seize early momentum and built a 14-9 lead after one. Dziezgowski connected from deep midway through the quarter to briefly tie the game at 9-9, but the Lakers answered with a three and late free throws to close the frame. The second quarter proved decisive as Grand Valley held SVSU to just 1-of-9 shooting in the period. The three ball pushed the lead into double figures for the Lakers. McCalla converted a three-point play to cut into the lead, but the Cardinals trailed 32-17 at halftime.
Out of the break, McCalla provided a spark, scoring eight points in the third quarter, including a layup and a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 34-23 with 6:36 remaining. Meredith added a layup to trim the margin to single digits earlier in the period, but Grand Valley responded with a 7-0 spurt capped by a three-pointer to extend the lead back to 39-25. SVSU battled within 45-31 heading into the fourth after baskets from Dziezgowski and Paradowski. In the final quarter, the Lakers pulled away behind layups and free throws. McCalla knocked down a late three, but Grand Valley closed out with eight points from the line on the way to a 68-42 victory.
Saginaw Valley shot 32.6 percent (14-of-43) from the field and 15.4 percent (2-of-13) from three-point range in the contest. Grand Valley State finished 21-of-54 (38.9 percent) from the floor and 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) from three-point range while converting 19-of-24 free throws (79.2 percent). The Lakers held a 38-31 advantage on the glass and forced 27 SVSU turnovers, turning them into 37 points. Grand Valley also outscored the Cardinals 21-6 in second-chance points and 27-17 in bench scoring. Saginaw Valley went 12-of-20 (60.0 percent) from the line and recorded 22 points in the paint in the contest.
Up Next: Saginaw Valley hosts Davenport on Saturday, February 21 for the final home game of the 2025-26 season. It's Senior Day with the festivities taking place before tip-off. The Cardinals and Panthers are scheduled to do battle at 1:00 PM. Both teams are battling for the eighth spot in the GLIAC and the final spot in the conference tournament.
