Women win first games of 2019
The CSC Eagles’ women’s basketball team wasted no time getting into the win column this year, entertaining their home fans with a 67-57 defeat of the Adams State Grizzlies, Friday, and a thrilling 66-65 win over the Fort Lewis Skyhawks, Saturday.
Chadron’s Jessica Harvey, sophomore of Morrill, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter against Fort Lewis, tallying the Eagles’ final six points, including a jumper, to give the Eagles a one-point lead with 25 seconds remaining in the game.
Nearly half a minute of tense play followed as Chadron did their best to defend the narrow lead. The Eagles successfully stymied the Fort Lewis offense until, with just three seconds remaining, the Skyhawks rattled off three consecutive shots which all missed the mark, giving Chadron the win.
Setting the stage for Harvey’s fourth-quarter heroics was teammate Taryn Foxen, sophomore of Aurora, Colorado, who tallied 13 of her game-leading 27 points in the third quarter. Foxen, along with teammates Jessica Lovitt, senior of Mullen, and Angelique Gall, freshman of Fruita, Colorado, sank all of their shots in the third, helping the team to a nearly 92-percent shooting percentage in the pivotal quarter.
“She knows how to get to the hole and can shoot the outside shot as well,” Eagles’ Head Coach Janet Raymer said of Foxen, who sank six-of-six shots from the field in the third, and 13 of 18, including two 3-pointers, throughout her game-leading 27-point performance.
“She’s such a versatile player that we can rely on her to do a lot for us,” Raymer said.
Trailing 30-24 after the first half, Foxen’s performance and Chadron’s excellent shooting helped the Eagles double their first half score in the third quarter alone.
“Coming out of the locker room we were able to capitalize on what we do well, which is pressuring our opponent, and the shots started falling,” Raymer said, “unlike in the first quarter.”
Harvey finished the game as Chadron’s second-highest scorer with 13 points. The sophomore from Morrill shot 60 percent including a single 3-pointer.
Friday, the Eagles 67-57 win over Adams State helped break a 10-game losing streak. The Eagles had an early 15-11 lead over the Grizzlies after the first period and never trailed through the rest of the game.
Harvey led the Eagles with 20 points against Adams State, and Gall had 17. Foxen was limited to just four points in the game.
The now 3-10 Eagles will face the first big test of 2019 as they head back on the road, Friday, for a matchup with 9-2 Westminster College who is undefeated in RMAC play and second only to Colorado Mesa University.
Saturday the team travels to St. George, Utah to face 6-5 Dixie State University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. GMT.