ONU’S LATE RALLY NOT ENOUGH IN CONFERENCE OPENER
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Xavier (IL) (2-4, 1-0) | 28 | 22 | 26 | 7 | 83 |
|
Olivet Nazarene (IL) (1-5, 0-1) | 28 | 14 | 22 | 18 | 82 |
BOURBONNAIS, IL. – In a nail-biting matchup between Olivet Nazarene University's women's basketball team and St. Xavier University, the Tigers found themselves on the wrong side of an 82-83 final score in their first conference clash at McHie Arena on Tuesday.
Sophomore guard Olivia Dirkse opened the scoring in the first quarter with a confident free throw, but St. Xavier responded with a series of successful free throws to take the lead. Dirkse showcased her sharpshooting prowess, keeping the Tigers ahead, but SXU's layups allowed them to regain control. The first quarter concluded with a deadlock at 28-28, setting the stage for a closely contested battle.
The second quarter witnessed a decisive 4-point run by the Cougars in the opening minutes, giving them the advantage for the remainder of the period. Despite ONU's tenacity, the quarter concluded with SXU leading 50-42, a gap the Tigers aimed to close as they entered the halftime break.
A three-pointer by senior guard Olivia Demosthenes opened the third quarter, injecting momentum into the Tigers' offense. Demosthenes added a couple more well-executed three-pointers, keeping ONU within striking distance of St. Xavier. However, SXU maintained their lead, and the quarter concluded with a score of 76-64, leaving the Tigers with ground to cover in the final period.
The fourth quarter was a rollercoaster of emotions for both teams. The Tigers launched an impressive 8-point run in the opening minutes, bringing them within four points of St. Xavier. The Tigers fought relentlessly, with a late layup narrowing the gap to just three points. A crucial three-pointer pushed ONU ahead by one, sending the crowd into a frenzy. However, St. Xavier responded swiftly with a timely layup, regaining the one-point advantage. In the dying moments, ONU missed a critical layup that would have secured the lead, and the game concluded with the Tigers narrowly falling short, 82-83.
What's Next
The Tigers will continue the hunt for their first home win with a match against the Fighting Bees of St. Ambrose University on Nov. 29th at 5:30 p.m. CST.
--ONU—
*Contact Anyssa Hampton, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, ahampton@olivet.edu
