The Saint Xavier University Women’s Basketball team saw a great season come to an end in the first round of the NAIA Division II National Championship Tournament.
SXU entered the game as a No. 2 seed in the tournament and their first round matchup was against No. 7 seeded College of the Ozarks.
The Cougars had probably their worst offensive games of the season, making only 17 field goals on 24% shooting in a crushing 68-43 defeat.
The small private school located near Branson and Hollister, Missouri with 1,380 students in Point Lookout locked up the Cougars during their route. The game seemed over at halftime when the Ozarks took a 41-21 lead.
It was a dominating defensive performance by the College of the Ozarks as the Cougars looked out of sync offensively all day.
The Cougars were led in defeat by junior forward Morgan Stuut, who added her 25th double-double to her already impressive resume.
The CCAC player of the year finished with 14 points on 5-for-17 shooting and snatched 13 rebounds.
Unfortunately, she was the only player for the Cougars that finished in double figures for scoring.
First-year Sidney Prasse was the second leading scorer for the Cougars with 7 points on 3-for-12 shooting.
They had a great season that saw them finish 16-2 in conference play and 27-6 overall for the season.
The team had an incredible 16-game win streak that spanned over two months which saw them play remarkable, unstoppable basketball.
Fans and supporters should be proud of the wonderful season that the Cougars had and wish all these amazing players good luck in the future and especially this upcoming season.
Damone Griffin
Sports Editor