GARY, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest stayed within striking distance most of the afternoon, but a hot-shooting Saint Xavier squad pulled away late as the Redhawks dropped a 79–66 contest Saturday inside the Savannah Center.

Ava Kingery led IU Northwest (2–7, 1–3 CCAC) with 19 points, knocking down five 3-pointers as the Redhawks connected on 50 percent from beyond the arc as a team. EJ Brown-Griffin posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while junior De'Mour Watson added 14 points, 13 boards, and a team-high seven assists.

The Redhawks opened the game trading early baskets, using a pair of triples from Maggie Grady to spark momentum midway through the first quarter. Watson's downhill attacks kept IU Northwest within range, but the Cougars' long-range shooting began to separate the teams.

Saint Xavier (7–3, 5–0 CCAC) buried 16 threes—six of them in the second quarter—to push its lead to 41–33 at halftime. Veronica Bafia (21 points) and Brooklynn Johnson (17 points, 9 rebounds) paced the Cougars, who used a decisive 25-20 third quarter to secure a double-digit advantage.

Still, the Redhawks made a push early in the fourth. Kingery drilled a pair of threes and Brown-Griffin finished at the rim to trim the deficit, but Saint Xavier responded with a late 7-0 run to close the game.

IU Northwest outrebounded the Cougars 39–34 and outscored them 32–24 in the paint but was ultimately undone by turnovers and Saint Xavier's perimeter efficiency.

The Redhawks now turn their attention to one of their toughest tests of the season as they travel to No. 17 University of St. Francis (Ill.) on Tuesday, Dec. 10. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. in Joliet.