Grand Rapids, Mich. – Freshman guard
Desiree Merritt (Oswego, Ill./Oswego East) scored a game-high, and career-best, 17 points with four rebounds and two assists to help lead the Saint Xavier University women's basketball team (3-0/0-0 CCAC) to a 67-51 victory over Aquinas College (Mich.) in non-conference play Tuesday afternoon in Grand Rapids, Mich. Sophomore forward
Alaina Peetz (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) was tough defensively as she pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, and she blocked a career-best eight shots. She added six points, three assists, and a pair of steals. The Cougars tallied 10 blocks as a team, the most blocked shots in a game since they had 12 at Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) on February 4, 2023.
- Junior forward Veronica Bafia (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) was 5-for-10 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, netting 15 points. She also had six rebounds, a season-high four steals, three assists and two blocks.
- Sophomore guard Brooklynn Johnson (Aurora, Ill./West Aurora) collected nine points, two assists, two rebounds and two steals.
- Freshman guard Laken LePage (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) recorded seven points, three rebounds and a steal.
- Junior guard Lillie Woodworth (Hamilton, Ill./Lincoln Land/Hamilton) grabbed a season-best eight rebounds, adding six points, two steals and an assist.
- Junior guard Maeve Egan (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley) scored six points as well, along with an assist and a rebound.
- Junior guard Gianna Amadio (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central) added two steals, an assist and a steal
- SXU took control in the first quarter, taking a 20-7 lead with just under two minutes left after Woodworth made a pair of foul shots. Saint Xavier allowed only seven points in the second period as they held the Saints to 3-for-14 shooting (21.4 percent) and poaching five steals.
- The Cougars, who led from the opening basket, limited Aquinas to 23.1 percent (3-for-13) shooting from the field in the third quarter. Peetz played the entire fourth period, blocking four shots and dishing out three assists as SXU pulled away for the road win.
Saint Xavier (3-0/0-0 CCAC) continues non-conference play as they travel to Howell, Mich. to take on Cleary University (Mich.) on Thursday, November 5. The game is set for a 4:30 pm central start.
