Southfield, Mich. – For the second game in a row to start the 2023-24 season, four players finished in double-figures for the Saint Xavier University women's basketball team (1-1, 0-0 CCAC) as they defeated Lawrence Tech University (Mich.), 70-56, in non-conference action at the Don Ridler Field House in Southfield, Mich. Junior forward Alyssa Crenshaw (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) led the Cougars with 16 points on 7-for-16 shooting and she finished with a team-high eight rebounds. Crenshaw also added three steals and two blocked shots in 22 minutes on the court. The win gives interim head coach Sidney Lovitsch the first of her collegiate coaching career.

• Sophomore center Eleanor Harris (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) was efficient from the field making seven of her nine shot attempts and scoring 14 points. She also had four rebounds, three blocks, two assists and two steals in just 16 minutes of play.
• Junior guard Hayley Macdonald (Canberra, Australia/Williston State/Lake Ginninderra) tallied 10 points while handing out a game-high seven assists. She added three steals and a pair of rebounds.
• Senior guard Bethany Baldwin (Watersmeet, Mich./Finlandia/Triton/Watersmeet) provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and five rebounds in just 13 minutes of playing time.
• Junior guard Aaliyahna Derrell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek) filled the box score with seven points, five assists, three steals, two rebounds and a blocked shot.
• SXU was tough defensively as the forced 20 LTU turnovers and racked up 14 steals that resulted in 22 points. Saint Xavier started the contest on a 6-0 run and would not trail in the game. Crenshaw scored eight of her 16 points in the opening period as the Cougars shot 50.0 percent (9-for-18) from the field to hold a 20-16 lead after one quarter of play.
• Despite shooting only 23.8 percent (5-for-21), SXU led at halftime 34-27. Baldwin was 3-for-5 from the field and went 3-for-3 from the free throw line to pace Saint Xavier in the second period.
• The Cougars went up 43-31 at the 7:49 mark of the third quarter after a three-pointer by sophomore guard Jaidn Green (Evansville, Ind./Evansville North) off a pass from Harris. Green finished the game with nine points. The Blue Devils closed the frame on a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to 48-45 entering the fourth quarter.
• Lawrence Tech made it a one-point contest on its opening possession of the final period and the game remained close until Macdonald bookended a 12-4 run with 2:13 left to put SXU up 66-54. Saint Xavier shot well in the frame, making 60.0 percent (9-for-15) of its shot and limiting LTU to just 30.8 percent (4-for-13) from the field.

Saint Xavier (1-1/0-0 CCAC) takes part in the Catholic Classic hosted by University of St. Francis (Ill.) when they play No. 5 Marian University (Ind.) on Friday, November 10 in Joliet, Ill. The game is scheduled for a 7:00 pm start.