SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Senior Courtney Haynes finished with a game- and career-high 23 points, as IU South Bend kept up with the fast-paced Olivet Nazarene attack in a 108-82 victory at the Student Activities Center on Thursday night.
Haynes went 9-for-10 from the floor in the win, as the Titans (17-6, 10-5 CCAC) secured back-to-back wins over the defending CCAC champions for the first time since 2010. Five players in all for IUSB finished in double figures, with Maddie Gard posting 19 points, and Katie Gard 15 points.
Maddy Schumacher came off the bench to score 14, going 4-for-5 from three-point range in the win. Sara Doi was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and dealt out six assists while tallying 11 points. Emma Fisher came up just shy of a triple-double on the night, recording 11 rebounds, nine assists, and eight points.
The Titans took an early lead, as Katie Gard's three-pointer at the 5:55 mark of the first quarter put the home team up 11-7. The Tigers (15-9, 12-5 CCAC) responded with four straight points, and both sides traded the lead throughout the rest of the opening period with Olivet Nazarene taking a two-point edge into the second quarter.
IUSB reclaimed a lead on Doi's three-pointer with 7:49 left in the first half, and back-to-back threes from Schumacher moments later helped push the Titan advantage to 39-30 midway through the quarter. The visitors cut the deficit to four points with just 44 seconds left before halftime, but three quick turnovers in the closing seconds led to five points for IUSB, suddenly giving the Titans a 50-41 lead at the break.
IU South Bend extended their lead further in the third quarter, going on a 12-4 run over a two-minute stretch to go up 65-48 after a pair of free throws by Doi. Three-pointers from Schumacher and Taitlyn Trenshaw made it a 20-point game by the 4:44 mark, and the Titans were in control the rest of the way.
The Titans will hit the road for their next three games, beginning with a trip to Milwaukee to face Cardinal Stritch on Saturday, Feb. 5. Tipoff with the Wolves is set for 2:00 p.m. ET.