WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Despite an impressive late-game rally, the HU women’s basketball team had to settle for a 75-70 road loss to Spring Arbor Saturday afternoon at American 1 Credit Uion Arena.

With this loss, HU drops to 9-8 overall, 2-5 in league play while the Cougars improve to 11-6 which includes a 4-3 CL record.

While it wasn’t the outcome Coach Maggard and crew had intended, the Foresters’ fight and resilience was inspiring. Down by as many as 16 part way through the third, the guests spent the rest of the afternoon scratching and clawing their way back in it with a chance for the win in the waning moments.

Down by one at 69-68 with 28 seconds to go, HU came up empty on a pair of freebies. It would have been their first lead since the opening minute of play. Despite the setback, it still wasn’t quitting time for Huntington. They had a great look from deep on their next possession for the tie that just didn’t fall after which time proved the enemy.

SAU’s end-to-end defense in the first half and into the second frame bothered the Foresters. In addition to coughing up the ball 17 times, HU couldn’t find their groove from beyond the arc. Up to that point, Huntington, averaging ten threes per game, had only knocked down two from downtown. A timeout midway through the third finally proved their wake-up call.

Huntington came out of the TO a determined squad, outscoring their hosts by nine to close out the quarter. They carried that swagger into the fourth where they recovered another eight points through the first nine-and-a-half-minutes to pull within a point but couldn’t close the deal in the final 30 seconds to be denied a heroic finish.

Liv Raby put the team on her back in the opening 20 minutes by scoring 17 of her career-best 24 points. Gabi Melby then carried the load in the second half, dropping in all 16 of her points in the final 20 minutes. Kyndell Jochim finished with 14 points while Addie Shank netted nine in addition to corralling five rebounds.

Alana Nelson went off for 27 points and grabbed eight boards for the Cougars. The only other double-digit scorer for SAU was Emma Smieska with 15.

The Foresters return to Platt Arena on Wednesday to host Taylor at 5:30 p.m.