ONU DROPS GAME AGAINST CONFERENCE FOE ST. XAVIER
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Olivet Nazarene | 20 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 84 |
|
Saint Xavier | 19 | 25 | 25 | 18 | 87 |
Chicago, Ill. – Saint Xavier defeats ONU in the anticipated regular season rematch. Representing the number two and three ranked teams in the conference, the game was competitive from the jump. Today's competition was marked more by the defense, with steals and turnovers creating the flow of the game. The Cougars started off hot, hitting two three-pointers before Kennedy Johnson (SO/Romulus, Mich.) could put the tigers on the board with a layup. Later Johnson would make another layup giving the Tigers their first lead of the afternoon, halfway through the first quarter. Caroline Boehne (SO/Hoffman, Ill.) provided significant contributions to ONU's offense in the first quarter by scoring eight points.
St. Xavier would regain the lead in the second quarter, but the Tigers quickly responded with a run of their own and would tie the game at 31, thanks to a three-pointer by Karina Smits (SO/Pewaukee, Wis.). Another three-pointer, shot by Sammy Stejskal (SR/Arlington Heights, Ill.), capped off the run and gave the Tigers a five-point lead. The Cougars then made a push to end the half up by four points.
Saint Xavier would not give up their lead after halftime. The Tigers would cut the cougar's lead down to one on two occasions in the third quarter. However, SXU responded to go back up 10 points. ONU's last major push came in the fourth quarter when Sammy Stejskal hit a three to make the score 73-74. SXU responded with a three-pointer of its own, but a turnover on the next Tiger possession proved costly as the cougars capitalized with a made layup and free throw to go up 73-80. The contest would conclude with the Tigers losing by just three, marking only ONU's third conference loss of the season.
GAME VITALS
Score: Olivet Nazarene – 84 | Saint Xavier – 87
Records: Olivet Nazarene – 16-7 (12-3 CCAC) | Saint Xavier – 19-3 (14-0 CCAC)
Location: Saint Xavier University | Chicago, Ill. | Shannon Center
STAT TRACKER
- Sammy Stejskal: 20 points, four rebounds
- Kayla Ross (SR/Elgin, Ill.): 12 points, four rebounds, four steals
- Caroline Boehne: 12 points, eight rebounds
- Kennedy Johnson: nine points, five rebounds
- Zanna Myers (SO/Monticello, Ill.): nine points, two rebounds, two assists
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Tigers will play at home versus Governors State University on Saturday, February 1st. The game will tip-off at 1:00 pm CT in McHie Arena.