WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Forester women’s basketball team picked up win No. 1 of the year by topping IU Southeast 64-53 Friday night of the HU Classic.

After spotting the Grenadiers (0-2) an 8-0 advantage within the first three minutes, Maggard and crew spent the next four-and-a-half minutes scratching and clawing their way back to take their first lead of the night at 11-10 with 2:29 left in the quarter.

It would be about that same time in the second quarter that the hosts took a permanent lead of 27-24 on a Gabi Melby trifecta.

The third quarter was what really told the story. Huntington leaned on their rookies following intermission to pull away from IUSE. The freshmen scored 17 of their team’s 21 third quarter points to turn what was a 29-26 difference at half into a 50-34 affair heading into the final ten minutes.

Freshman Bailey Kelham headed up the scoring fest with a pair of early threes and then finished the quarter with eight points. The 5-8 guard sank four triples on the night on her way to pouring in 16 points for the game, all of which came after intermission.

Classmate Peyton Hartsough earned her first collegiate start and didn’t disappoint. She led the way in the first half with eight points before finishing with 13, which included dropping in two from deep. Another frosh in Olivia Raby rounded out HU’s double digit scoring ten.

As a team, Huntington racked up ten three-pointers to IUSE’s two with senior Emily Seboe draining two during her team’s first quarter comeback. The 5-11 forward also tracked down a game-leading nine rebounds. The hosts went 16-for-20 from the charity stripe while limiting the Grenadiers to nine freebies of which they made seven.

Leah Miller and Jesse Ledgerwood each tossed in 11 points to lead IU Southeast.

HU (1-2) is back in action tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. to host IU East.