Sluggish Start Costs (RV) HU in 64-59 Loss to Pilots

HUNTINGTON, Ind. – The #RV Huntington women's basketball team nearly authored another late comeback Saturday afternoon, but an early deficit proved too much to overcome in a 64-59 loss to Bethel at Platt Arena.

Huntington entered the contest riding a three-game win streak, highlighted by a dramatic double-overtime road win at Indiana Wesleyan earlier in the week. With the setback, HU slips to 17-7 overall and 9-5 in Crossroads League play, while the Pilots improve to 16-8 overall and 7-7 in league action, completing the regular-season sweep over the Foresters.

It was a challenging opening half for the hosts. Facing an aggressive Bethel defense, Huntington struggled to find rhythm, committing nine first-half turnovers, making just six field goals, and failing to corral any offensive rebounds. The one bright spot came at the free-throw line, where HU went 8-for-10, but the overall struggles resulted in a 33-20 halftime deficit.

Huntington showed signs of life coming out of the locker room, trimming the margin to six midway through the third quarter, but consistency remained elusive. Bethel pushed the lead back to eight heading into the final 10 minutes.

The Foresters saved their best stretch for last. Annaka Nelson opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to pull HU within 42-37, the closest the game had been since the opening frame. From there, the game settled into a familiar rhythm — every Huntington surge was met with a timely answer from the Pilots.

Still, HU refused to go away. With 48 seconds remaining, Liv Raby scored in transition to cut the deficit to 58-56, igniting hopes of another late-game rally. Bethel responded at the free-throw line, converting six of its final 10 attempts to fend off the Foresters' push and secure the win.

Huntington finished the afternoon shooting 40.4 percent from the field but struggled from deep, connecting on just 2-of-15 from beyond the arc.

Raby led all Foresters with 22 points, knocking down 8-of-9 free throws while adding eight rebounds. Addie Shank turned in a strong double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Nelson chipped in 11 points, six boards and two blocks.

Bethel was paced by Isabel Scales, who poured in a game-high 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Jazmyn Smith added 14 points and eight rebounds, while Mariah Claywell and Isabella Nooe helped steady the Pilots with key contributions on both ends.

Next up for the Foresters is a trip to Goshen on Wednesday with tip-off set for 5:30 p.m.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. Huntington has a top quartile ranking in the 2026 U.S. News Best Regional Universities Midwest Rankings.