Delaney Panozzo attempts a shot SXU Athletics
Saint Xavier’s women’s basketball team took on Trinity Christian College on Jan. 31 and Indiana University Northwest on Feb. 2, taking both games in a dominant fashion.
These wins improved the Cougars’ record to 12-9 (.571) and 10-4 (.714) in conference. They currently sit comfortably at third in the CCAC, trailing behind Governors State and Roosevelt tied for second, and the undefeated Indiana University South Bend.
SXU vs. Trinity Christian College: 76-32 (W)
The massive win over CCAC opponent Trinity Christian was the most dominating performance from the Cougars all season, shooting well on offense and locking down on defense.
On offense, SXU shot 32-76 (42.1%) overall and 7-26 (26.9%) from three-point range. Although threes were not falling, it did not make or break the result of this game thanks to stellar defense.
From the defensive end, Saint Xavier controlled the pace of the Trolls’ offense from start to finish. They forced 22 turnovers to turn them into 27 points. SXU’s 14 steals on the day also marked the fourteenth time this season they collected 10 or more steals.
All twelve players scored for the Cougars, led by freshman guard Delaney Panozzo who scored 16 off the bench. Panozzo also tallied six rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Senior guard Bethany Baldwin was the other Cougar to finish the game in double-digits with 10. Baldwin’s final statline also included six rebounds, four steals, and two assists.
Junior forward Alyssa Crenshaw finished with just two points, but had a team-leading eight rebounds, including three on offense.
In the first quarter Saint Xavier outscored TCC by 24 points, finishing with a 2-26 lead.
Sophomore guard Jaidin Green led scoring in the first, dropping all nine of her points on 4-5 (80%) shooting in eight minutes of play.
The 2-17 Trolls scored their only points of the quarter when they were down 16-0, they struggled all game to get any of their shots to fall or create momentum of any kind.
Quarter two was virtually the same, Saint Xavier won the quarter by a score of 22-3. They made nine shots on 20 attempts (45%) and Panozzo made both of the team’s three-pointers.
A 43-point lead headed into the half was a more than comfortable enough lead for the Cougars.
TCC’s scoring improved, finishing the third quarter with eight points, more than half coming from one player.
Just three Saint Xavier players scored in this quarter, but the 13 points was more than enough to keep Trinity Christian well from striking distance.
SXU’s shooting plan changed after the half, attempting 10 from beyond the arc in the third compared to their 11 combined in the first half. Only three of those 10 attempts went in; one coming from junior guard Jenna Hernandez and two from freshman guard Sarah Barakat.
Despite the massive win, Saint Xavier did not outscore Trinity Christian in the last quarter. The Trolls were able to score 19 points to the Cougars’ 15.
Panozzo found her stride in the fourth quarter, draining 5-6 (83%) shots for 10 points.
This was a huge win for the Cougars, they got back in the win column after a tough loss to Governors State University.
SXU vs. Indiana University Northwest: 84-69 (W)
Saint Xavier’s offense and defense were on point once again in the win over IU-Northwest. They outshot their opponent 28-59 (47.5%) to 25-58 (43.1%), which included better scoring from three-point range. SXU made 10 threes to the Redhawks’ five.
The win over IUN was propelled by a stellar game from junior guard Aaliyahna Derrell, who scored a career-best 24 points. Derrell shot 6-15 (40%) from the field and drained 3-7 (42.8%) from beyond the arc. She also shot 9-10 (90%) from the free throw line. To complete her fantastic performance, Derrell also had a game-best eight assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
Aaliyahna Derrell dribbles the ball down court SXU Athletics
Crenshaw also had a good game, scoring 18 points on 6-10 (60%) shooting and making all six free throw attempts. She collected a game-high 12 rebounds in addition to two assists.
Sophomore center Eleanor Harris was the other Cougar to eclipse 10 points, she had 17 on 8-11 (72.7%) shooting. Harris finished with three blocks and two steals as well.
In the first quarter, Saint Xavier outscored their opponent by 10 points, closing out with a 26-16 lead.
Crenshaw led the way with nine points in the first, but junior guard Jenna Hernandez and junior forward Sofie Carr came up big with three baskets from three-point range.
SXU looked dominant and tried to carry that into the second quarter, but IUN had different plans.
The Redhawks changed their pace and ended up scoring 20 points to the Cougars’ 14.
Though SXU still had a lead going into the half, their opponent showed they would not back down from the challenge of a comeback victory.
The third quarter was even more tightly contested, SXU scoring 17 and IU-Northwest scoring 15.
Saint Xavier started the quarter hot, scoring 11 unanswered points to build up their largest lead of the game of 51-36. But from this point, the Redhawks virtually shutdown the Cougar offense to keep themselves in the game.
Entering the fourth up 57-51, it was clear SXU would have to put their foot on the gas and pressure IUN, and they did just that.
They scored 27 to their opponent’s 18 and finished with a great win.
Things are looking up for the Cougars and they look to add another win to get a season-high third win in a row. Their next game is tonight, Feb. 7 at Roosevelt University with tip-off scheduled for 5:30 p.m.