GARY, Ind. – No. 4-seed Indiana Northwest battled through a hard-fought contest to defeat No. 5-seed Saint Xavier 77-72 in overtime in the CCAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday night at the Savannah Center. With the victory, the RedHawks advance to the semifinals, where they will face top-seeded Governors State on the road.

Jessica Carrothers led the way for Indiana Northwest with a game-high 31 points, shooting 12-of-29 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. The junior guard also contributed five assists and five steals in 45 minutes of action. Ava Kingery provided a strong outside presence, knocking down five 3-pointers on her way to 21 points. Tiara Jackson was dominant in the paint, securing a double-double with 12 points and a team-high 15 rebounds.

The RedHawks came out firing in the first quarter, shooting 52.9% from the field to take a 22-16 lead. Saint Xavier responded in the second, keeping pace with IUN behind efficient shooting from beyond the arc, but the RedHawks carried a 36-33 advantage into halftime.

Indiana Northwest looked to take control in the third quarter, using a balanced attack to stretch the lead to 55-47 heading into the final period. However, Saint Xavier refused to back down, outscoring the RedHawks 18-10 in the fourth quarter. The Cougars forced overtime after holding IUN to just four made field goals in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

In the extra session, the RedHawks regained their composure. Carrothers took over, scoring seven of the team's 12 overtime points, while the defense held strong to secure the win. Indiana Northwest shot 71.4% from the field in overtime, including a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Saint Xavier was led by Alyssa Crenshaw and Ryann Ogarek, who each finished with 19 points. The Cougars controlled the glass, outrebounding IUN 47-30, including a game-high 12 boards from Sofie Carr. However, their struggles at the free-throw line—converting just 3-of-7 attempts—proved costly in the close contest.

With the win, Indiana Northwest improves to 23-6 on the season and advances to the CCAC Tournament semifinals, where they will take on No. 1-seed Governors State on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT. 

Recap by PJ Katona

Keep up with all the latest updates on Indiana Northwest Athletics by following @IUNRedHawks on X and Instagram.