JOLIET, Ill. – IU South Bend early had the first upset of the 2022 CCAC Women's Basketball Tournament, but ultimately fell to the 2nd-seeded St. Francis Saints on Thursday night, 67-62 in overtime.
The Titans (25-7) held a seven-point lead with just over seven minutes left in regulation, but the host Saints (25-6) would outscore IUSB 13-6 down the stretch, holding the Titans to just one field goal in that stretch to force overtime.
Katie Gard led the way with 22 points for IU South Bend, just two points shy of her career high, while serving up three assists and going 3-for-9 from three-point range. Maddie Gard tallied 19 points and 11 rebounds for her third career double-double. Emma Fisher picked up ten points, while Courtney Haynes pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds.
A hard-fought first half saw six lead changes, with neither side taking more than a three-point advantage throughout the first and second quarters. Maddie Gard led all scorers with 15 first-half points, as the Titans took a three-point advantage into the break, 28-25.
A couple of free throws from Katie Gard, followed by a three from Maddie Gard put the Titans up five, 35-30 with 7:59 left in the third quarter. St. Francis would briefly take the lead later in the period, but a three-point play from Katie Gard with 46 seconds on the clock put the visitors back up 44-42 going into the fourth quarter.
Late in the fourth the Saints took a 59-57 lead on a three-pointer with under a minute to play. A foul sent Katie Gard to the line, where she knocked down both free throws, sending the game to overtime.
From there, the IUSB offense struggled, with just one field goal in the extra session. Trailing by three, Katie Gard's jumper with 29 seconds left made it a one-point game, but that would be as close as the Titans would come in the closing moments.
The Titans are not done yet, however; with the top two seeds reaching the final of the CCAC Tournament, IU South Bend earns the conference's third automatic berth into the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship. The Titans will open play on Friday, March 11, at one of the 16 host sites across the country.
The team will learn the destination for their Opening Round matchup on Thursday, March 3, when the NAIA reveals the field of 64 during the selection show streaming live on the NAIA Facebook page, beginning at 7:00 p.m.
