SOUTH BEND, Ind. — A string of five baskets in a row over a three-minute, 40-second span in the fourth quarter by Indiana University South Bend denied the University of St. Francis women’s basketball team from defending its Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament title as the top-seeded Titans rallied for a 70-64 victory in the semifinal round Friday night.
The 15-2 run for the hosts (27-2) started just after Le’lani Harris had given the Fighting Saints a 48-43 lead with a pair of free throws to open the fourth quarter. By the 5:36 mark, Indiana South Bend had gained one of its biggest leads of the night at 58-51.
The Titans (26-2) were led by Katie Gard 19 points and five rebounds, Sara Doi 13 points and five assists, Emma Fisher’s 8 rebounds, four steals, and 11 points, and Tia Chambers 11 points and 11 rebounds.
USF (22-7) would get within 60-56 with just under four minutes to play, but no closer as IUSB waited until the final ten minutes of the game before turning in its best shooting marks of the night. Heading into the final stanza, the Titans connected at just a .377 clip (17-of-45). In the fourth, they converted at a 72.7 percent mark, going 8-for-11 from the field, 2-for-3 from three-point range and 9-of-11 at the foul line.
USF, on the other end, went 6-for-15 (40 percent) in the last quarter and was 0-for-7 from three-point range resulting in the 27-17 fourth-quarter scoring advantage for the regular-season champions.
Through three quarters, the game had 14 lead changes and eight ties with neither team leading by more than three points over the first 20 minutes. USF’s biggest advantage came midway through the third quarter when Hannah Swiatek’s three-pointer put the Saints up 38-31. IUSB countered with a 9-0 run to go up 40-38 only to have the guests use their own string of seven unanswered points to go back on top 45-40 before settling for a 47-43 lead after three quarters.
The Saints put three players in the double-figure scoring column topped by Swiatek’s 18 points. Jordan Pyle and Harris contributed 17 points each with Pyle accruing seven assists and Harris a team-best ten rebounds.
IUSB will be hosting the CCAC championship games on Monday vs rival IU Northwest on Monday. Regional Radio Sports Network will have the telecast on www.rrsn.com
Notes: The Saints will have to wait until Thursday night at 6 pm to see if their season continues when the NAIA announces the 64 teams advancing to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round … Of USF’s seven losses this season, five came against Indiana-based schools … Six and possibly all seven of St. Francis’ losses will also have come against teams scheduled to make the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round: Indiana South Bend (twice), Indiana University Northwest (twice), Marian University, Siena Heights University and possibly Olivet Nazarene University … The Saints had a streak of eight straight games allowing less than 70 points snapped on Friday. The last opponent to do it: Indiana South Bend when it scored 71 points back on Jan. 18 … Harris’ double-double was her third in a row and fourth of the season.