by CHICAGO – The No. 3 seeded Saint Xavier University women’s basketball team (16-12, 14-6 CCAC) saw its season come to an end, falling to No. 6 Holy Cross College (Ind.) 87-78 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament Quarterfinals Tuesday evening on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Senior guard Bethany Baldwin (Watersmeet, Mich./Finlandia/Triton/Watersmeet) led the Cougars with 23 points on 8-for-16 shooting from the field, along with five rebounds in 24 minutes of action off the bench. Head coach Sidney Lovitsch concludes her inaugural season at the helm of SXU with a 16-12 overall record.
- Sophomore guard Jaidn Green (Evansville, Ind./Evansville North) recorded 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting and was 6-for-8 from the foul line. She added six rebounds, two assists and a steal.
- Junior forward Alyssa Crenshaw (Algonquin, Ill./Dundee Crown) posted her team-leading seventh double-double of the year, grabbing a season-high 14 rebounds (five offensive) and scoring 10 points. She also had two blocks and a steal.
- Sophomore center Eleanor Harris (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) registered a double-double as well, her fourth of the season, corralling a season-high tying 12 rebounds and pouring in 10 points. She came away with a game-high four steals with two assists and a blocked shot.
- Junior guard Aaliyahna Derrell (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sand Creek) finished in double-figures as well, netting 10 points. She added a team-high four assists and had two steals.
- Freshman guard Emma Clark (Rockton, Ill./Hononegah Community) tallied seven points, an assist and a rebound, while sophomore guard Lia Chudzik (Pewaukee, Wis./Pewaukee) had three rebounds, two points and an assist.
- The lead changed hands multiple times in the first quarter, with neither team going up by more than one possession, and HCC held an 18-16 advantage. The Saints took their largest lead of the half, 27-22, on a steal and a layup at the 7:10 mark. Saint Xavier responded with a 9-2 run over the next two minutes to go up 31-29, capped by a basket by Harris on a pass from Derrell. The Cougars went into half time up 38-37 after a buzzer-beating floater from the top of key by Holy Cross. HCC opened the second half by making a jumper and would hold their advantage the rest of the way. The Saints pulled away in the closing minutes of the game by making 9-of-10 foul shots.
