By: Matt Lood
Staff-Writer/Sports Liaison
Since the last check-in on the Titans’ basketball teams, they are a combined 4-0 while both sitting in the top three of the conference standings.
Women’s basketball
The IU South Bend women’s basketball team sits atop the CCAC standings with a perfect 8-0 record on the season, while also boasting a perfect 2-0 conference record. It is also worth noting that the girls have earned the ranking of the 25th ranked team in the nation.
During the break in coverage, the girls began the climb to repeat as CCAC champions, beating fellow IU school IU Northwest 84-74 in a rematch of last year’s CCAC Championship game.
Katie Gard shined for the Titans, finishing with 21 points and shooting 5-6 from behind the three-point line. On the defensive end, she also racked up a team-leading four steals to stifle the Redhawks’ offense. Her sister, Maddie Gard, also played well, finishing with 15 points. The Titans had two players record double-doubles in seniors Emma Fisher and Tenleigh Phelps. Fisher finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Phelps finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
After returning from Thanksgiving Break, the Titans faced cross-town rivals Holy Cross in a CCAC match up. The Titans would win in a low-scoring affair 55-47, their closest game since Nov. 6 when they played Siena Heights University.
A slow start to the game saw the Titans trailing the Saints 10-17 after quarter one. However, after the second quarter, the Titans would take a one-point lead into the halftime break, leading the Saints 23-22. After another close quarter, the Titans would take a 35-33 into the final quarter before exploding for 20 points in quarter four, winning the game 55-47.
Senior Tenleigh Phelps lead all scorers with 20 points and 15 rebounds, tallying her second double-double in a row. Senior Emma Fisher also had a great game on the glass as she recorded 13 rebounds. Katie Gard finished second in Titans scoring, finishing with 17 points while making another five three-point shots.
Men’s basketball
Just like the women, the men’s team stands undefeated in CCAC play with a record of 2-0 and an overall record of 5-3, placing them in third place in the conference.
Following the girls’ win against IU Northwest, the boys were able to complete the sweep of the Redhawks, beating them 84-74. The first half was good to the Titans, outsourcing the Redhawks 44-31. Dejon Barney finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, seven of those being on the offensive end. Junior forward Jylen Petty scored 22 points off the bench for the Titans, providing a much-needed spark for the team. He finished the game 7-9 from the field and 2-3 from behind the three-point line.
Following the win versus the Redhawks, the Titans traveled to Holy Cross, also completing the sweep of the Saints. The game also shared a lot of similarities with the girls. After the first half, the Titans trailed 17-24. With some work to do after the half, the Titans were able to outscore the Saints 25-17 in the second half. Quentez Columbus hit a shot at the buzzer to push the Titans past the Saints and win the Titans the game 42-41.
Dejon Barney led the Titans in points, finishing with 12 points. Columbus finished in second with nine points. Following the victory, the Titans squared off against Waldorf in their second to last non-conference game.
The Titans were able to defeat the Warriors by a score of 76-61. Terry Ford and Dejon Barney led the way for the Titans, finishing with 17 points a piece. Most of the game, the teams were battling back and forth until the Titans’ offense exploded with eight minutes to go in the game, sealing the victory for the team.
The Titans’ next game will be a conference showdown against the Trinity Christian Trolls on Dec. 6 at the Student Activities Center.
