SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Saginaw Valley State University women's basketball team fell to No. 3 Drury University 81-76 in the first game of the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center Thanksgiving Classic on Tuesday in Springfield, Mo. The loss drops the Cardinals to 4-2 overall.

How it happened:

• The Cardinals and Panthers traded baskets throughout the first six minutes of play and were tied 10-10. SVSU got baskets from Tori DePerry and Kaitlyn Zarycki. 
• Drury ended the first quarter on an 8-2 run and took a 20-15 lead. 
• The Panthers scored the first points of the second quarter before Maddie Barrie answered with a jumper of her own for SVSU. 
• Drury proceeded to go on an 8-0 run and open up a 15-point lead.
• Maddie Maloney hit a three-point basket to cut the lead to 12 points before the Panthers hit a front end of a pair of free throws and took a 45-32 halftime lead. 
• At the start of the third quarter, the Panthers hit another 3-pointer to go up 16 points, before SVSU clawed their way back into the game. The Cardinals outscored the Panthers 22-16 in the third period and trailed by only seven points heading into the final quarter. 
• Drury went on an 11-0 run to begin the fourth quarter, but the Cardinals didn't go away quietly. SVSU got to within four points with under a minute remaining in the game, but the Panthers were able to make their free throws down the stretch and earn the victory. 

Inside the Box Score:

• Zarycki scored a career-high 36 points on 12-16 shooting, 3-4 from deep, and 9-9 from the free-throw line. She added six rebounds and three steals.
• Barrie added 12 points, while Maloney had 10 points.
• DePerry had a game-high nine rebounds as the Cardinals outrebounded the Panthers 32-25.
• SVSU was 29-51 from the field, 7-16 from three, and 11-13 from the line. Drury was 29-59 from the field, 7-13 from deep, and 16-27 from the free-throw line. 
• Paige Robinson was the leading scorer for Drury with 26 points. 

Up next:

The Cardinals face Truman State University in their second game of the Oasis Hotel & Convention Center Thanksgiving Classic at 1 pm Wednesday in Springfield, Mo.