IUSB women win CCAC crown; men lose in title tilt
The Indiana University South Bend basketball programs both turned in strong performances to compete for postseason championships in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
They ended up winning one title in the league tournament and losing in another final.
The men’s team fell short in its bid for another league tourney crown Monday night with an 88-63 loss at IU Northwest in Gary.
The No. 19 women’s squad earned its championship Saturday by downing Olivet Nazarene University 91-87 in the league tournament title game at IUSB.
The men’s squad was bidding for its fourth CCAC tournament crown in the last five years for coach Scott Cooper. The women’s title was the second straight under coach Steve Bruce.
The women’s team, by virtue of their tournament title, earns an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament. Pairings for the 64-team tournament will be announced Thursday night with the women’s event beginning March 15-16 with first and second round games at campus sites. Host schools include Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion and Marian University in Indianapolis on the women’s side. The women’s Sweet 16 is set for March 21-26 in Sioux City, Iowa.
The men’s team could still get an atlarge bid to the NAIA National Tournament. Pairings for that 64-team field will also be announced Thursday night. The men’s tourney begins March 15-16 with first and second round games with hosts including Grace College in Winona Lake and Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion. The men’s Sweet 16 is set for March 21-26 in Kansas City.
Men earn close wins to get to title game
The Titans showed their clutch play and resiliency in earning their two league tournament victories to advance to the title game.
The Titans, who went 15-5 in CCAC regular season play, rallied for a thrilling 72-70 win at Roosevelt University in a
IU South Bend’s Dejon Barney (31) drives to the basket during the IU South Bend vs. Saint Xavier men’s basketball game on Jan. 10 at IUSB.
Tenleigh Phelps (34) drives to the basket during the IU South Bend vs. Saint Xavier women’s basketball game on Jan. 10 on campus at IUSB.
semifinal contest March 1. IUSB trailed by 10 points with less than 10 minutes to play.
Terry Ford was the hero in the semifinal win with the game winning layup with four seconds to play.
Jylen Petty, a former standout at South Bend Washington, led the Titans with a career high 25 points off the bench. Petty hit 7-of-9 treys in the win.
Dejon Barney, a former star at Riley High School, had 18 points and Ford finished
with 12 points.
IUSB started tourney play with a 7674 home win over Saint Xavier University (Illinois) Feb. 28.
Barney, the team’s top scorer and rebounder, sealed the win with a threepoint play.
Micah Poole led the winners with 18 points, while Barney had 17 and Petty 16. Former South Bend Adams star Quentez Columbus scored 13 points and Ford added 11.
The Titans, 22-9, fell behind quickly Monday night at IU Northwest and could not recover.
IUSB, which split its regular season series with IU Northwest with an 84-74 win at home and a 77-61 loss in Gary, trailed 50-24 at halftime. The hosts shot 21-of-39 from the field in the first half to take complete control, while the Titans were just 10-of-33.
Barney led the Titans with 27 points, including 11 in the first half. He also had 12 rebounds.
IUSB shot just 27-of-72 overall from the field, including 4-of-22 from 3-point land. The host Redhawks, who had four players score in double figures, shot 35of-67 overall from the field.
Ford scored 14 points, while Petty had six and Columbus four for the Titans.
IU Northwest, which earns the automatic bid to the national tournament, improved to 21-10.
Women perfect at home
The No. 19 women’s squad finished a perfect season on the home hardwood with a trio of wins to claim the CCAC tournament hardware.
The veteran Titans improved to 30-1 overall and 17-0 in the Student Activities Center.
A fast start propelled the team past Olivet Nazarene University (Illinois) 9187 in the title game Saturday. The Titans led 25-10 after the opening period en route to the win.
Junior Tenleigh Phelps poured in 30 points to lead the way for the Titans. Former South Bend Riley star Jazmen Watts scored 19 points and fifth-year senior sisters Maddie and Katie Gard added 17 and 14 points respectively.
The Titans, who went 19-1 in CCAC regular season play, downed the University of St. Francis (Illinois) 77-60 in the tourney quarterfinals Feb. 27.
Maddie Gard, the all time leading scorer in IUSB hoops history (women’s and men’s), poured in 25 points. Phelps also scored 25 points, while senior Watts added seven. IUSB used a 21-10 edge in the second quarter to take control.
Four players hit for double figures as the Titans topped IU Northwestern 7766 in a semifinal game Feb. 29. Maddie Gard led the way with 18 points. Watts finished with 17 points and Phelps and Katie Gard each added 16 points.