Booker Drops 28 in Road Contest
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – IU South Bend’s four-game winning streak came to an end Saturday afternoon, as the Titans could not overcome Olivet Nazarene’s early shooting surge in a 91-84 road loss at McHie Arena. Despite a determined fourth-quarter push and a standout performance from sophomore Aubrie Booker, the Titans dropped to 6-4 overall and 3-2 in CCAC play.
Booker was electric throughout the afternoon, finishing with 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting, repeatedly carving into the Tigers’ pressure with timely attacks to the rim and midrange finishes. She added three assists, two steals, and three rebounds in 35 minutes, keeping IU South Bend within striking distance as ONU’s pace pushed the game toward triple digits early on.
Senior forward Tenleigh Phelps powered her way to another double-double — 18 points and 14 rebounds — while Kenzie Fulks added seven points, six assists, six rebounds, and four steals. Ava Grant came off the bench to hit three threes and contribute 13 points, helping the Titans’ offense stabilize after a slow opening stretch.
ONU began the game with a flurry of substitutions and fresh legs, using its signature fast-rotation style to force turnovers and create rhythm threes. The Tigers scored the first seven points and surged ahead 25-14 after the first quarter. The Tigers hit six first-half threes, maintaining a 50-43 lead at halftime.
IU South Bend fought back repeatedly. Midway through the third quarter, Grant’s drive and Booker’s layup cut the deficit to five at 54-49. The Titans trailed 66-57 heading into the fourth quarter before Booker drilled a wing three on the first possession of the frame to make it a six-point game again.
From there, the teams traded baskets at a breakneck pace. Hudson scored in transition, Booker added another layup, and Phelps powered through contact for two more as IUSB continued to hover within striking distance. But each time the Titans threatened, ONU answered — including a decisive series of threes and put-backs that kept the margin between six and ten points over the final minutes.
IU South Bend shot a strong 47.1% from the field and outscored ONU 48-36 in the paint, but the Tigers’ depth proved the difference. ONU finished with 13 made threes, 23 points off turnovers, and 27 second-chance points, while using a 39-bench-point effort to maintain separation throughout the contest.
The Titans return home Thursday for a non-conference bout against Bethel at the Student Activities Center.