BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball program opened up the 2025 calendar year on the road at Ferris State Thursday evening. The Cardinals (6-5, 0-3 GLIAC) fell to the No. 24 Bulldogs (9-3, 3-0) with a final score of 70-56.

The 14-point deficit does tell the full story of the game as SVSU led by two at the half using a 19-7 second quarter to go ahead. Saginaw Valley was led by Megan McCalla with 23 points as she added five rebounds and two steals. She was followed by Aleshia Jones with 16 points and eight rebounds. Ava Locklear led in boards with nine and had a steal, a block, and five points as well.

Both teams traded points to start as the Bulldogs held a slim lead. Late in the first quarter, a McCalla layup tied the game at 13-13. A 9-0 run followed for Ferris State going ahead 22-13 and eventually 25-15 after the first quarter.

The Cardinals used a 14-2 run through the second to go ahead 34-30 using Bulldog fouls to their advantage, knocking down six free throws in the run. McCalla led all scorers with 17 at the half as Saginaw Valley was outrebounding Ferris State 23 to 11.

FSU flipped the script in the third quarter outscoring SVSU 16-9. They started with a 13-0 run as the Cardinals didn't score in the second half until 4:11 left in the third quarter. Saginaw Valley cut into the lead with a layup and three pointer from Jones and a layup from McCalla.

Another big Bulldog run in the fourth as Ferris State started with an 11-1 run to go ahead 59-44. A three from Beckham Hockley and Jones brought it back to single digits before the Bulldogs hit a few crucial shots and free throws to stay ahead.

Up Next: Saginaw Valley continues the road trip heading up to Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday. The Cardinals battle with the Lake Superior State Lakers with tip-off from Ronald "Bud" Cooper Gymnasium at 1:00 PM EST.