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HU comeback stuns No. 10 USF in CL Tourney

Sam Hammel (right), a junior on the Huntington University women’s basketball team, powers her way to the hoop while Kara Gerka from the University of Saint Francis defends during a game on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the opening round of the Crossroads League Tournament at USF. Hammel scored 19 points to help lead the Foresters to a 67-62 victory.
Sam Hammel (right), a junior on the Huntington University women’s basketball team, powers her way to the hoop while Kara Gerka from the University of Saint Francis defends during a game on Tuesday, Feb. 25, in the opening round of the Crossroads League Tournament at USF. Hammel scored 19 points to help lead the Foresters to a 67-62 victory. Photo by Steve Clark.

Down by 13 points going into the fourth quarter, the Huntington University women’s basketball team pulled off a stunning comeback, outscoring host University of Saint Francis 21-3 to post a 67-62 victory in the opening round of the Crossroads League Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

The upset win over the third-seeded No. 10 Cougars sends the Foresters, seeded sixth, into the tournament’s semifinal round, where they will face second-seeded No. 7 Taylor University on Friday, Feb. 28, on the road.

Huntington, 21-10, 9-9 in league play, opened the final frame with a 15-0 run. The Forester defense sparked the scoring spree, forcing five Cougar turnovers in the period’s first 2:50. Freshman Dazia Drake highlighted the defensive effort with three steals. Coach Lori Culler’s squad tallied eight points during that stretch, with six coming from senior Sarah Fryman and two from junior Sam Hammel.

Hammel tossed in Huntington’s next four points, then Fryman capped the team’s scoring spree with an old-fashioned three-point play at the 2:38 mark, giving her squad its first lead, 61-59, since the game’s opening minute.

While Lauren McBryar nailed a three 17 seconds later to put USF back on top, 62-61, Huntington would not be denied. Hammel swiped the ball from the Cougars’ Savannah Buck at the 1:33 mark, which led to a Fryman bucket that put the Foresters back on top, 63-62. After a three-point miss by Kara Gerka on the USF end, Fryman scored once again, putting Huntington up 65-62 with 11 seconds remaining. Hammel then proceeded to ice the game with a pair of clutch free throws a few seconds after that.

Fryman and Hammel tallied 13 and eight points, respectively, in the fourth quarter. Fryman finished with a game-high 29 points while Hammel registered 19.

Hammel made it a double-double, corralling 10 rebounds. She also dished out four assists.

Fryman was active on the glass as well, grabbing eight caroms to help give Huntington a 41-25 advantage on the boards.

Fryman and Hammel made their presence felt on defense, too, notching four steals apiece. Drake also finished with four swipes.

The Foresters converted 25 of 69 field goal attempts for 36.2 percent. They supplemented that scoring with an impressive 16 of 18 showing at the free-throw line for 88.9 percent.

Huntington trailed 21-12 after the first quarter, 36-27 at the half and 59-46 after three frames, setting the stage for the fourth-quarter heroics.

The Cougars, 23-7, 14-4 in conference, hit 27 of 47 shots from the field for 57.4 percent. They attempted only two free throws and missed both.

USF was paced by Sidney Crowe and Gerka, who produced 13 and 11 points, respectively. Buck dispensed seven assists.