Over the past week, both Holy Cross basketball teams played a total of three games, going a combined 1-2. The men’s team finished with a win and a loss, while the women’s team lost its sole game.
Men’s Basketball
After splitting its two games from this past week, the team now sits at 10-16 overall on the season and 5-13 in conference play. The Saints now prepare to travel to Trinity-Christian on Feb. 18 with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
Holy Cross vs. IUSB
The first team the Saints faced off against was IUSB, and it is safe to say it was a nail-biter as the game ended 87-83. The Saints took control of the first half with a 41-33 lead going into the half. In the second, despite a battle and multiple different lead changes, IUSB pulled through to take the win.
What ultimately led IUSB to its win was its control of the glass. Comparatively, Holy Cross was only able to grab 34 rebounds, while IUSB was able to jump up and total 42. That being said, Holy Cross and IUSB were both equally aggressive from the field. Holy Cross went 28-for-59 from the field, and IUSB went 26-for-63. The Saints flourished from the charity stripe, going 24-for-30, while IUSB went 31-for-42. Offensively, junior forward Jayden Sanders led the Saints, finishing the game with 23 points, followed by sophomore guard Callaghan Weatherspoon, who finished with 22. Defensively, Weatherspoon also led the squad, totaling eight rebounds.
Holy Cross vs. Indiana Northwest
Similar to their last game, the Saints’ matchup against Indiana Northwest was a close one, with both teams playing down to the wire. While the teams battled hard, Holy Cross came out with the final 77-71 win. An early 11-point lead benefited the Saints as they kicked off the game, and they maintained their advantage throughout the half, going into the break leading 32-18. Coming out of the locker room, Indiana Northwest fought back. The second half included four lead changes between the two teams before the final buzzer, and the Saints claimed their weekend win.
While both teams succeeded on both ends of the court, the Indiana Northwest downfall was its tendency to commit shooting fouls. This gave Holy Cross its opportunity to go to the free-throw line and, with success, take the win. From the line, the Saints went 24-for-29, while Indiana Northwest went 13-for-18. Though neither team found the basket from the arc, Holy Cross was able to knock down more, going 7-for-23, while Indiana Northwest only went 6-for-28. The Saints also maintained control of rebounds, totaling 45 on the night in comparison to Indiana Northwest’s 39.
Overall, for the Saints, freshman guard Donovan Waleskowski led the court, finishing with 25 points, while Weatherspoon followed with 17. On defense, Weatherspoon continued his defensive intensity with a total of 11 rebounds, followed by sophomore forward Karl Birgisson, who had nine.
Women’s basketball
Last Saturday, the women’s basketball team faced off in a Valentine’s Day matchup against Indiana Northwest. While the two teams battled it out, the Saints ultimately lost 68-60. With this loss, the team fell to 15-11 overall on the season and 11-7 in the conference. The team now prepares to head to Olivet Nazarene on Feb. 18 with the start time set for 6:30 p.m.
Overall, the game was a tight matchup that was tied 13 times and featured 12 lead changes. The first quarter was slow for both offenses; by the end of it, Indiana Northwest held a 13-11 lead over the Saints. After the first break, both teams showed more offensive intensity, equally putting 18 points on the board. Going into the half, Indiana Northwest held the 31-29 lead. In the third quarter, Holy Cross changed the pace as the Saints put up 20 points, and Indiana Northwest only added 15 – this gave the Saints a 49-46 lead, though everything would change in the final quarter. While the Saints maintained a steady lead, in the game’s final moments, Indiana Northwest pulled through to take the win.
Indiana Northwest showed more intensity on the arc and in the paint, which led to their success. From the field, Indiana Northwest shot 20-for-59 while Holy Cross only went 16-for-62. From deep, Indiana Northwest went 4-for-14 as Holy Cross went 1-for-17. Offensively, Holy Cross was indeed aggressive; freshman forward Sincere Coleman-Francis led with 15 points, and alongside her was sophomore forward Kaiden Hanley, who also added 15 points. Hanley would also lead the team on defense, finishing the night with nine rebounds.
