La Crosse, Wis. – After trailing 46-39 at halftime, the Saint Xavier University women's basketball team (9-5, 5-1 CCAC) allowed just 25 points in the second half and held the host Viterbo University (Wis.) V-Hawks to 34.5 percent shooting (10-for-29), including limiting VU to 1-for-11 from beyond the arc, in a 78-71 victory in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action Saturday afternoon in La Crosse, Wis. Junior guard Jaidn Green (Evansville, Ind./Evansville North) recorded a game-best 21 points for the Cougars, with 16 coming in the first half, along with three rebounds and an assist. For Green, it was her fifth contest in 2024-25 with 20 or more points.

It was the first meeting between the two schools since December 28, 2014, and the first time since November 14, 2009 that SXU played on the road in the all-time series that they lead, 5-0. They will meet more often as Viterbo joined the CCAC at the start of the 2024-25 school year, including later this season when the V-Hawks come to the Shannon Center on February 5.

VU controlled the pace in the first half, shooting 53.6 percent (15-for-28) from the floor and 70.0 percent from three-point range (7-for-10), while Saint Xavier was 15-for-39 (38.5 percent) in the first 20 minutes. Freshman forward Veronica Bafia (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) helped fuel the comeback, scoring all 13 of her points in the second half, going 5-for-7 after only taking one shot in the first half. She netted nine points in the third quarter as the Cougars cut the deficit to 61-58 entering the fourth period. Graduate student guard/forward Ryann Ogarek (Joliet, Ill./Benedictine/Lewis/Providence Catholic) was also a key figure in the road win as she tallied nine points and seven rebounds in the second half, knocking down a three after Bafia corralled an offensive rebound that tied the game at 63-63 at the 6:54 mark. Senior guard Aaliyahna Derrell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek) gave SXU the lead for good on their next time down the court. The Saint Xavier defense forced 21 turnovers, came away with 11 steals and they blocked five shots.

• Ogarek registered her third double-double of the year, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while adding three steals and a pair of assists.
• Bafia came away with six rebounds (four offensive) and an assist.
• Derrell tallied 10 points, four assists, two rebounds and two steals.
• Freshman guard Maeve Egan (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) posted eight points, two rebounds and an assist in 11 minutes off the bench.
• Junior center Eleanor Harris (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) stuffed the box score with five rebounds (four offensive), four blocks, four points and a season-high four steals.
• Senior center Alyssa Crenshaw (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) added a season-best four assists, with four points, two rebounds and a pair of steals, senior forward Sofie Carr (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) chipped in four rebounds, two points and an assist.

Saint Xavier (9-5/5-1 CCAC) returns to the Shannon Center to host Indiana University South Bend in a CCAC contest on Wednesday, January 8. The game is slated for a 5:00 pm start.