WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The HU women’s basketball team’s season came to an end Tuesday night at Hutzell Athletic Center where the 4th-seeded Cougars of Saint Francis (20-11) slipped past the 5th-seeded Foresters 84-80 on opening night of the Crossroads League tournament.

USF needed an extra period to come out victorious as things ended in a 74-74 stalemate through regulation. The OT saw Kara Gerka drain a three with just over two minutes remaining to turn the Cougars’ one-point deficit into a 79-78 advantage that they then rode out at the free throw line. Saint Francis went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch to secure the W and advance to the semis of the tourney where they will face top-seeded Taylor on Friday.

For the Foresters, it was the third loss of the year to their neighbors to the northeast. The common denominator in each loss was one bad quarter. This time around it was the second ten-minute segment that did HU in. After enjoying a 19-17 lead after the first quarter, the visitors managed just ten points in the second to find themselves in a 41-29 hole at the midway point.

The Foresters made-up four points in the third but had it not been for Sidney Crowe, HU’s surge could have been monumental as she scored 12 of USF’s 14 points in the frame to keep her team on top. Down 57-47 heading into the fourth, Culler’s gritty crew stormed back behind Maddie Richer and Sarah Fryman.

Richer drained a three early in the quarter and then buried two more in the final three minutes. Fryman scattered her ten points throughout the ten minutes. Thanks to their stingy defense that caused USF to cough up the ball four times, the Foresters spent the first five minutes pulling within one at 64-63.

By the 2:13 mark, HU seized their first lead since the first quarter when Fryman nailed one from downtown for a 69-67 advantage. USF reclaimed the lead with just over 90 seconds to go after which Huntington found themselves on top twice more with a tie in between before Gerka got a friendly roll with :17 seconds to go to knot it up for the fifth and final time of the night to send it to overtime where things went USF’s way.

Fryman poured in a game-best and career-tying 30 points which included going a perfect 9-for-9 from the line. Richer finishing with a season-tying 19 points to go along with four assists. Saylor added ten points and game-high seven rebounds. Sara Doi came off the bench to net ten points in addition to collecting four rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals.

Gerka topped USF with 24 points. Lauren McBryar tossed in 17 points and swiped four steals. Crowe also finished with 17 points, all of which came in the second half. Whitney Will added 11 points and six rebounds. Savannah Buck hit four big free throws in the OT in addition to handing out ten assists and nabbing five steals.

The Foresters wrap up the year with an overall record of 18-12.