PHOTO/Casey McDonald
By: CASEY McDONALD
Editor In Chief
@casey_ace13
A crosstown rivalry is sweet. The stands are filled, the gym is loud, and the court is intense. For IU South Bend, it was also about revenge.
The women’s team started the afternoon off against the Holy Cross Saints from Notre Dame, Ind., their second match up with the school down the street. In their first contest back in November, it was anything but close when the Saints demolished the Titans 72-56, when the only time the score was within single digits was in the first three minutes of the game. This time, the Titans hit the gas and never backed down.
Vicki Gard and Loren Vukovits started things off as they both converted for two to give the Titans the early lead. Paige Avery would continue the attack as a pair at the line gave the team a six-point lead. A turnover by Taylor Wesley towards the end of the first quarter allowed the Saints to tie the game at 13 a piece, but Wesley redeemed herself with two free throws at the end of the first.
A long three from one of the Saints guards would give them the lead and allow it to grow as the Titans momentum on defense slowed down. Taitlyn Trenshaw did not like that, as she checked into the game midway through the second and used her quick feet and energetic personality to liven the Titans. Along with her quick feet came a steal and layup which resulted in a foul on Trenshaw by the Saints defense, making it a three-point play at the line.
The five-foot-two freshman guard did not stop there, as her second steal in two minutes resulted in an assist to Jess Alexander to give the Titans the 30-28 lead at the half.
At halftime, the Titans were an impressive 90 percent from the free throw line. However, they were only 35.2 percent from the paint and 41.7 percent from deep. As the Saints had 38.8 percent from inside with a 35 percentile from three, as both teams took a seat in the locker room before the second half began.
Starting the third quarter, Vukovits and Alexander wasted no time extending the lead, as Gard forced a foul on the Saints defense on a layup and another three-point play. But it was Kyleigh Kubik who would drain a three to make it a 10 point game for their first double-digit lead.
Gard was on fire as her third consecutive three-pointer gave the team a 16-point lead late into the third quarter. Into the fourth quarter, the lead dropped to seven when the Saints went on an 11-2 run. But yet another deep three from Kubik continued to energize the bench and the crowd as the Titans won their second straight game.
The Titans and Saints split their matchups, both winning at their respective home courts, but IU South Bend had the final say, going 71-60.
With only four games left in the season, the Titans carry a 15-11 record over all, and 6-10 in the CCAC.
