Amaya Collins
IU Columbus was on its way to its first women’s basketball win of the season Tuesday when it went ice cold.
Trailing by six points early in the fourth quarter, St. Xavier (Illinois) outscored the Crimson Pride 16-2 over the final 9 1/2 minutes to rally for a 67-59 victory in IUC’s home opener at Nexus Park.
“We ran out of gas,” IUC coach Reena Haliburton said. “We started cramping up. Pretty much my starting five all got cramps at the same time, and I had to make some tough decisions on who to put in. We gave up a lot of crucial rebounds at the end of the game, and we turned the ball over at crucial moments, is what cost us this one.”
The Crimson Pride (0-3) were within 62-59 after a basket by Abby Fleetwood with 5:20 left in the game, but would not score again.
Amaya Collins led IUC with 26 points. Columbus North graduate Hadassah Hurt scored all 11 of her points in the first half, and Fleetwood finished with nine points.
Haliburton said the first three quarters were the best her team has played this season.
“I am extremely happy with the way they rotated on defense and verbally,” Haliburton said. “They were being aggressive, just getting after it overall on defense and offense. They made a big turnaround from the Culver-Stockton game and the Mount Mercy game, not really letting size or speed differentiate us. We kind of played the way that I told them we were going to have to play, and that’s play defense, no matter who’s on the floor.”
The Crimson Pride are back in action Saturday when they host Taylor at 1 p.m.
