WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

In front of a raucous Platt Arena crowd Saturday afternoon, the #RV Huntington women’s basketball team delivered a program-defining performance, knocking off No. 4 Marian 77–66 in what proved to be a true statement win. The victory also keeps the Foresters perfect at home this season at 10-0.

The dub marked the biggest of Coach Darby Maggard’s four-year tenure at HU and snapped a 23-game winning streak Marian held over the Foresters that dated back to January of 2014. It was Huntington’s first win over the Knights in more than a decade – and it came with authority.

Aside from the opening minute of play, which saw Marian’s Abbey McNally score twice on the block, Huntington controlled the tempo and tone the rest of the afternoon. Teegan Acres ignited a decisive early surge with a three-pointer at the 6:23 mark of the first quarter, sparking a 9–0 run that gave HU a 10–8 lead it would never relinquish.

The return of Kyndell Jochim this week to the lineup added a welcomed lift, and her triple to close the opening quarter pushed Huntington’s advantage to 23–14 at the first break. Liv Raby wasted no time in the second quarter, scoring on the opening possession to extend the lead to double figures, and the Foresters maintained at least a 10-point cushion the rest of the half en route to a 40–28 halftime advantage.

Huntington kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter, ballooning the lead to as many as 18 midway through the stanza. As expected from one of the nation’s elite programs, Marian mounted a charge in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to 66–61 on a pair of free throws by Huntington native Taylor Double with just over five minutes remaining.

That’s when Jochim delivered one of the defining moments of the afternoon, burying a corner three to halt the momentum. Moments later, she beat her defender baseline for a layup that restored a double-digit lead. Raby put the finishing touch on the upset, knocking down a soft jumper in the lane with just over two minutes remaining to stretch the lead to 12 and extinguish any hopes of a Marian comeback.

It was a physical, hard-nosed battle throughout, as the teams combined for 46 fouls and 48 free-throw attempts. Huntington won the rebounding battle 44–36, though Marian capitalized on 17 offensive rebounds to outscore HU 14–2 in second-chance points.

What separated the Foresters was efficiency and defensive discipline. Marian entered the contest holding opponents to 50.7 points per game, but Huntington shot a blistering 56.1 percent from the field (23-for-41) and an even 50.0 percent from three. On the other end, HU locked down the Knights, limiting Marian to just 29.9 percent shooting overall and a 6-for-26 effort from beyond the arc.

From top to bottom, this was a consummate team win for the Foresters. Raby led the Foresters with 19 points on 6-for-10 shooting while Addie Shank delivered a dominant all-around performance with 16 points, 15 rebounds, four steals and a block. Jochim scored 12 points off the bench, while Kyndra Sheets chipped in 11 points, four assists and two steals. Annaka Nelson anchored the defense with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

For Marian, Madisyn Bailey paced the Knights with 22 points and four steals, while Double added 12 points and five steals. Abbey McNally finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Kiley McNally provided nine points off the bench.

The victory wraps up first-round action of Crossroads League play with Huntington sitting at 14–5 overall and 6–3 in league play, good for fourth in the standings. Marian suffers just its second loss of the season, slipping to 17–2 overall and 7–2 in CL play, tied for second with Spring Arbor.

The Foresters are back at Platt Arena next Saturday to host No. 21 Spring Arbor at 1:00 p.m., aiming to flip the script from a 74–62 setback earlier this season.