Disappointing Trip to Milwaukee
The women’s basketball team took on the No. 15-ranked Cardinal Stritch Wolves on Nov. 20, playing a close game but losing 71-61
It was the second time in the young season that the Cougars really struggled, and it was the first time since losing 89-62 to No. 1-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University on Nov. 15.
Niara Harris, a senior guard who played just 22 minutes, took control when on the floor. She led the Cougars with 18 points and added two steals.
Harris’s speed in transition caught the Wolves off guard.
She was 6-of-13 from the field and got to the free-throw stripe more than any other Cougar, converting five of her seven attempts.
Saint Xavier got down by as much as 21-12 midway through the period.
They battled back and got within two points with just under 6:00 remaining in the half on a three-pointer by junior forward Morgan Stuut.
Stuut finished the game with 13 points and led the team with four steals while playing 38 minutes.
After shooting just 36.7% as a team in the first half, the Cougars got back on track in the second by shooting 44.4%, but it would not be enough.
Regaining Confidence at ONU Classic
Olivet Nazarene University held their women’s basketball tournament on Nov. 22 and 23, which coincided with the Cougars regaining their confidence.
The team had to sneak past Huntington University, and they did so with a 77-70 win behind another stellar performance from Harris.
Harris again led the team with 18 points, this time going 7-for-13 from the floor in her 28 minutes.
She was the most active Cougar around the basket, getting to the stripe six times and converting four attempts.
Junior Suzie Broski was also instrumental in the win, compiling 16 points and tying for the team lead with three assists.
Saint Xavier was up 45-27 at the half, but Huntington came back and made a game of it by drawing fouls.
They shot 24 free throws in the second half and made all of them.
After the win, Saint Xavier had the confidence to make their next game not much of a contest.
The Cougars beat Mid-Continent University by a final score of 82-40 in their second game of the ONU Classic.
Stuut led the Cougars against Mid-Continent with a double-double. She accounted for 20 points and 12 rebounds (seven offensive) while going 4-for-7 from three-point territory.
Sophomore forward Caitlin McMahon also had a double-double, scoring 10 points and coming down with 10 rebounds (seven offensive).
Junior forward Margaret Wildner scored 12 points in just 16 minutes on the floor, and senior forward Chrissy Heine finished with a game-high of five steals.
Siena Heights Tournament
The Cougars lost their third game of the season 84-67 on Nov. 30 when they played Siena Heights University in their tournament.
Broski was the best scorer with 14 points in 36 minutes. She added two assists and a steal to her stat line.
Senior guard Jordan Brandt was back in the starting lineup. She scored 11 points in her 23 minutes. She was smart with her shot selection, making four of her five attempts from the floor, including her only three-point attempt.
It was a close 40-36 game at halftime because the Cougars shot 50% from the field in the first half. But the shooting would not be sustained in the second half, as the Cougars fell to 34.6%.
Saint Xavier tied the game at 44-44 with 17:01 left in the second half before Siena Heights began to run away with the contest.
After the loss, the team roared back to win their second game of the tournament 82-70 against Shawnee State University on Sunday.
Stuut led the team with 30 points in the game, going 10-for-18 from the floor with a 5-for-7 mark from beyond the arc.
McMahon came down with 11 rebounds in the winning effort, and redshirt freshman guard Sidney Prasse was strong on defense with five steals in 22 minutes on the floor.
The Cougars will look to improve on their 6-3 record (1-1, third place in the CCAC) as they face the CCAC’s No. 1, Roosevelt University, at 5:30 p.m. today.
If you cannot make it to Roosevelt’s campus this evening, you can check the game’s stats online at sxucougars.com.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor