CHICAGO – Senior center Alyssa Crenshaw (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee-Crown) finished the game with a career-high 26 points on 10-for-16 shooting while also pulled down a career-best 17 rebounds (eight offensive) to help Saint Xavier University women's basketball (17-9, 13-5 CCAC) overcome a 17-point deficit to defeat Holy Cross College (Ind.), 76-64, in a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) contest Saturday afternoon on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. on 'Alumni Day.' The Cougars started out slow, trailing 25-10 after the first quarter as the Saints held SXU to just 20.0 percent shooting (4-for-20), and fell behind 27-10 to start the second period. Crenshaw converted a three-point play at the 3:03 mark to pull Saint Xavier within five points, 31-26. HCC maintained a two-possession lead the rest of the way, making a trey to go into halftime up 38-28.

The Cougars chipped away in the third quarter, keeping the game close with Crenshaw grabbing an offensive rebound and putting back a layup just before the buzzer to trail 56-50 entering the final frame to spark a 17-0 run. Redshirt junior guard Hayley Macdonald (Canberra, Australia/Williston State/Lake Ginninderra) capped the run with an acrobatic basket to put SXU on top 65-56 with 5:14 left. In the fourth quarter, Saint Xavier limited Holy Cross to just eight points on 2-for-17 shooting (11.8 percent), while shooting at a 66.7 percent clip (10-for-15).

• Crenshaw also had three assists and a pair of steals while going 6-for-6 from the foul line.
• Macdonald shot 5-for-10 from the floor, totaling 14 points. She also had six rebounds, three assists and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench.
• Graduate student guard/forward Ryann Ogarek (Joliet, Ill./Benedictine/Lewis/Providence Catholic) came away with 11 points and six rebounds (three offensive).
• Senior guard Aaliyahna Derrell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek) tallied 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and a steal.
• Freshman forward Veronica Bafia (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) recorded seven points, two blocks and a rebound.
• Senior forward Sofie Carr (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) scored four points, along with three steals and a pair of rebounds.
• Freshman guard Maeve Egan (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) posted four points, two rebounds and a blocked shot, while junior center Eleanor Harris (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) added seven rebounds and a block.

Saint Xavier (17-9/13-5 CCAC) travels to Davenport, Iowa to play St. Ambrose University (Iowa) on Wednesday, February 19. The game is scheduled for a 5:30 pm start.