WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

In a tightly contested afternoon of basketball at the Shannon Center, it came down execution at the end where the 21st-ranked Cougars of Saint Xavier (12-3) slipped past the #RV Foresters 79-73 on day two of the SXU Christmas Classic. The W is St. Xavier’s ninth straight win.

The contest featured ten ties and nine lead changes with no more than two possessions separating the two squads most of the day with the exception coming at the beginning and the end. Brooke Saylor and Erin Mohr teamed up to score four points apiece in the opening three minutes to jump their team in front 12-2.

With several offensive weapons to choose from, the Cougars relied on a balanced attack in the first quarter to fight their way back for a 17-16 lead by the first break. It was blow for blow after that as both teams scored 23 points in the second quarter to make for a 40-39 halftime disparity favoring the hosts.

SXU’s Chanel Fanter unleashed for 14 points in the ten-minute segment while HU got its point production from the bench. Casey Morton spotted up three times from deep while Cindy In’t Groen went to work in the paint where she matched Morton’s nine points which included an and one to wrap up the period.

Fanter picked up where she left after intermission to score eight points in the third while six different Foresters put points on the board for another close quarter that eventually ended in a 59-59 deadlock headed into the final stanza. In’t Groen and Morton carried the offensive load again in the fourth by each dropping in six points, Morton’s all from long range, but it wouldn’t be quite enough.

Unfortunately, the Foresters got stuck on 65 for three minutes to which the Cougars took full advantage by rattling off nine straight points to turn their two-point deficit into a 72-65 advantage with just over four minutes to go. Huntington couldn’t recover as the lead swelled to as many as nine before Saint Xavier settled for the six-point victory.

When all was said and done, HU shot 46.2 percent for the game to SXU’s 61.5 percent. Both teams committed 19 turnovers with the Cougars scoring 23 points from Huntington’s miscues while HU only cashed in on 14 points from their hosts’ blunders. Another glaring difference was second chance points with SXU enjoying an 8-0 advantage.

In’t Groen finished with a team-leading and career-best 19 points to go along with eight rebounds and for her efforts was named to the All-Tournament Team. Morton poured in a season-high 15 points. Brooke Saylor added ten points. Sam Hammel handed out seven dimes and corralled a game-high nine boards, three of which were offensive.

Fanter had a career day by totaling 31 points. Other double digit scorers for SXU included Gabby Kreykes with 16 and Maddie Welter with 13.

HU (9-7) will look to snap its three-game losing skid on January 5 when they host Spring Arbor at 1:00 p.m.