South Bend, Ind. – Trailing by 15 points at halftime, the Saint Xavier University women's basketball team (16-9, 12-5 CCAC) shot a blistering 69.0 percent (20-for-29) from the field in the second half, including 90.0 percent (9-for-10) in the fourth quarter, to defeat Indiana University South Bend in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action Thursday evening at the Student Activities Center in South Bend, Ind. The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday evening but was postponed due to a snowstorm. The Cougars outscored the Titans 50-23 in the second half, limiting the hosts to 24.1 percent shooting percentage (7-for-29), and just 1-for-13 (7.8 percent) in the fourth quarter. Freshman forward
Veronica Bafia (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) and senior center
Alyssa Crenshaw (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) each finished the game with 13 points to extended SXU's winning streak to five games.
- Bafia was 5-for-8 from the floor, as well as 2-for-2 from three-point range, along with three rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.
- Crenshaw went 4-for-6, including 4-for-4 from the foul line, with five rebounds, a season-high tying four steals and a block.
- Graduate student guard/forward Ryann Ogarek (Joliet, Ill./Benedictine/Lewis/Providence Catholic) also finished in double-figures, scoring 12 points. She also had five rebounds and a pair of steals.
- Junior center Eleanor Harris (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) posted eight points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal in her sixth start of the season.
- Junior guard Lia Chudzik (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) provided a lift off the bench with eight points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal in 16 minutes on the court.
- Senior guard Aaliyahna Derrell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek) dished out a game-best eight assists, her 15th game in 2024-25 with five or more assists in a game, along with six points and two rebounds.
- Senior forward Sofie Carr (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) recorded six points, two blocked shots and two rebounds.
- Redshirt junior guard Hayley Macdonald (Canberra, Australia/Williston State/Lake Ginninderra) added five points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Saint Xavier (16-9/12-5 CCAC) returns to the Shannon Center to play Holy Cross College (Ind.) on 'Alumni Day' on Saturday, February 15. The game is slated for a 1:00 pm tip-off.
