WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Amidst a sea of pink inside Platt Arena, the #RV Huntington women’s basketball team turned a tightly contested first half into a runaway celebration, rolling past Grace 85–64 Saturday afternoon to complete the season sweep of the Lancers.

Playing for a cause in the program’s 18th annual Pink Out game, Huntington battled through Grace’s relentless, endline-to-endline pressure for 20 minutes before hitting the reset button at halftime. The result was a dominant second-half surge that saw the Foresters outscore Grace 50–29 after intermission and blow the game wide open.

The opening half featured 12 ties and 11 lead changes, with neither team able to gain separation as Grace’s chaotic defense disrupted rhythm and flow. The teams went to the locker room knotted at 35–35, but that was as close as it would get.

Huntington seized control in the third quarter and then dismantled the Lancers in the fourth, breaking down the defense for repeated touches in the paint and easy looks at the rim.

A Milestone Moment for Raby

Liv Raby delivered a performance to remember. The 6-1 forward poured in 18 of her game-high 27 points in the second half, finishing with a career-best outing while etching her name into the record book. Raby entered the afternoon needing 27 points to join HU’s 1,000-point club, becoming the program’s 28th member when she scored in the paint with 7:46 remaining to push the Forester lead to 63–53. She was unstoppable to open the fourth quarter, scoring on Huntington’s first three possessions of the stanza, igniting both the crowd and the bench.

Sheets Sets the Table — and a Record

While Raby finished the plays, Kyndra Sheets orchestrated everything. The junior guard dished out 16 assists, shattering the previous program record of 13 that had stood since 2006. Sheets added seven rebounds and steered an offense that finished with 24 assists on 35 made baskets.

Balanced Production, Dominant Numbers

Huntington shot 47.3 percent from the field and controlled the interior, owning a 67–43 rebounding advantage while scoring consistently in the paint down the stretch. Addie Shank delivered a strong inside presence with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Annaka Nelson knocked down three triples on her way to 18 points. Off the bench, Lauryn Merritt provided an efficient spark, going 3-for-3 from the floor for seven points and eight rebounds.

Grace Scoring Summary

Grace was led by Maddy Poynter, who finished with 17 points, while Bekah Longenbaugh chipped in 12 points off the bench on four made threes. Braylin Terrell and Morganne Houk each added 11 points, but the Lancers were held to 25.9 percent shooting for the game as Huntington pulled away late.

With the win, Huntington improves to 16–6 overall and 8–4 in league play, while Grace drops to 10–12 (2–10 CL). The Foresters head north on Wednesday for a road showdown at #RV Indiana Wesleyan, tipping off at 5:30 p.m. in Marion.