WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Huntington women’s basketball team hosted its first Crossroads League Tournament game in a decade Tuesday night inside Platt Arena, but Indiana Wesleyan University had the final word.

The fourth-seeded Foresters led more often than not and built a nine-point cushion midway through the third quarter before the fifth-seeded Wildcats flipped the script, outscoring HU over the final 13 minutes to turn a 44-35 deficit into a 63-54 quarterfinal victory.

After sweeping IWU during the regular season, Huntington looked poised to extend its win streak over the Wildcats and make a deep postseason push. Instead, IWU avenged those two losses and punched its ticket to Friday’s semifinal round against top-seeded Marian.

The turning point came late in the third. With HU clinging to momentum from a 12-2 run, fueled by seven points from Addie Shank, the sophomore drilled a triple to cap the surge and give Huntington its largest lead at 44-35. IWU responded with the final six points of the quarter to cut it to 44-41 heading into the fourth.

The Wildcats tied it early in the final period with one of their seven three-pointers. From there, the teams traded the lead five times before Wesleyan’s Addi Hovey banked in a turnaround jumper in the paint with 2:36 remaining – a shot that proved to be the go-ahead bucket for good. IWU followed with a three-pointer on its next possession and another score before Liv Raby knocked down two free throws. Those would be HU’s final points of the night as the Wildcats sealed the win at the stripe having gone 5-for-8 in the final 34 seconds.

IWU shot an efficient 47.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent from deep (7-of-14) while holding Huntington to 35.2 percent shooting and just 21.7 percent from long range (5-of-23). The Wildcats also edged HU on the glass, 32-30.

Raby led the Foresters with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added two blocks. Shank finished with 10 points and a team-best 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Lauryn Merritt provided a spark off the bench with six points and four boards in nine minutes. Kyndra Sheets and Annaka Nelson each chipped in six points, with Sheets dishing out three assists and grabbing four rebounds in her 40-minute effort.

For IWU, Ayla Krygier finished with 15 points, while Ellie Kelleher added 14 off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting, including three triples. Hovey contributed nine points and eight rebounds, and Hayleigh Amey was perfect from the field (4-of-4) for eight points.

The first half saw IWU lead 16-15 after one before the Foresters took a 30-27 advantage into the locker room.

With the loss, Huntington falls to 18-11. The Foresters now await their postseason fate and are likely to receive an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament. Selection Day is March 5.