WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Never say die – the HU women’s basketball team knows no other way. And no time has that been more apparent than Tuesday night at Ariel Arena in a 62-59 brawl that favored 4th-seeded Mount Vernon (15-10) in the quarterfinals of the Crossroads League tournament.

The 5th-seeded Foresters got off to a rocky start to find themselves in a 22-9 hole after the first quarter but were far from calling it quits. After playing even with their hosts over the next ten minutes, Huntington finally started chipping away at their deficit after intermission.

Sam Vaughn led the charge. In the final 20 minutes, the gritty senior went off for 21 points and tracked down six offensive boards while swiping six steals at the other end of the floor. Culler’s crew fed off her energy to cut into the lead by five in each of the final two quarters to come up just shy of a heroic comeback.

In the last five minutes, the Foresters held MVNU to just three points while trimming their 11-point shortfall of 59-48 down to a single possession with a handful of ticks remaining. Vaughn and Logan Rowles were the key cogs to Huntington’s offense down the stretch.

Rowles scored twice in transition while Vaughn took care of the rest which included an old-fashioned three-point play with :15 seconds to go that pulled her team within two at 61-59. Forced to foul, Huntington still had a glimmer of hope when the Cougars went 1-for-2 at the charity stripe. It set up a final shot at the buzzer that bounced off the far side of the rim much to the chagrin of Vaughn and company.

Vaughn finished just three steals away from a triple double by posting 25 points, 14 rebounds and seven steals. Emily Seboe added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Taylor Gregory topped Mount Vernon with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists while Maggie Coblentz tossed in 16 points.

The loss brings to an end the Foresters’ season. They wrap up the year with a 13-9 record.