WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

In a game that felt like it could swing either way for three quarters, the difference ultimately came down to the three-point line with #RV Huntington drawing the short stick, dropping a 78-68 decision to #RV Taylor Saturday afternoon inside Odle Arena. Despite the setback, the Foresters remain in fourth place in the Crossroads League standings at 10-6, holding a one-game edge over Bethel and Indiana Wesleyan with two regular season contests remaining.

For the Trojans, the win snapped a five-game skid and ended a four-game losing streak against HU. Taylor now sits seventh in the league standings.

A Battle From the Start
The two teams traded punches from the opening tip, swapping the lead six times and playing to five ties. Taylor, however, held the advantage at the end of every quarter, including a 39-33 lead at halftime. Huntington wasted no time responding after the break.

The Foresters opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run to erase the deficit and momentarily seize momentum. But any thought of a turning point was quickly muted when freshman Kaycie Warfel, the nation’s leading scorer, answered with one of Taylor’s 10 three-pointers on the afternoon.

While HU did an impressive job containing Warfel to just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting, only the second time all season she’s been held under double figures, her supporting cast took over. Madi Allen erupted for 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting, including 7-of-9 from the free throw line, while Marissa Trout added 19 points and drilled three triples. Quinn Kelly chipped in 10 points and dominated the glass with 14 rebounds as the Trojans outrebounded HU 39-35.

Final Push Falls Short
With seven minutes remaining, Taylor extended its lead to 69-59 but Huntington made one last surge. A three from Kyndell Jochim sparked seven unanswered points to cut the deficit to just three with a little under four minutes to play. But the Trojans calmly marched to the free throw line down the stretch, scoring seven of their final nine points at the stripe to seal the season split.

Both teams shot nearly identical from the field — HU at 43.1 percent (25-58) and Taylor at 43.8 percent (28-64). Each side committed just eight turnovers and scored 12 points at the line. The difference was beyond the arc where Taylor shot 50 percent from three (10-20) for 30 points, compared to Huntington’s 6-of-17 (35.3 percent) for 18 points.

Forester Standouts
Annaka Nelson led Huntington with 14 points. Kyndra Sheets added 11 points and dished out a game-high 10 assists in a double-double effort while playing 39 minutes. Off the bench, Jochim provided a spark with 12 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Addie Shank scored 10 and grabbed eight rebounds, while Liv Raby added nine boards and eight points. Teegan Acres was efficient, going 2-for-2 from the floor with seven points and six rebounds.

With the loss, Huntington drops to 18-8 overall (10-6 CL) but remains in control of its postseason positioning. The Foresters return home Wednesday to Platt Arena for their final regular season home game, hosting #5 Saint Francis at 5:30 p.m.