Fanter, Irvin winning big at Saint Xavier

This year's Saint Xavier University women's basketball team in Chicago has quite the local makeup to it.

Crystal Lake South alum Chanel Fanter is a senior guard-forward on a Saint Xavier team that starts the week 16-3 overall and 11-0 in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Fanter is tied for the team lead in scoring at 14.3 points per game. She's shooting .508 from the field, .403 from the 3-point line (27-for-67) and .717 from the free-throw line (43-for-60). Fanter also is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game and has 50 assists, a team-high 45 blocks and 16 steals.

Fanter has fared particularly well this season against Milwaukee-based Cardinal-Stritch University. Fanter recently put up 23 points, including five 3-pointers, which tied a season high in that department. In the earlier meeting with Stritch, she had 22 points and made three 3-pointers, while adding 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

Other highlights this season for Fanter include 22 points (8 of 11 free throws) and 7 rebounds against Morningside College. She also had 20 points in games against Indiana-Northwest and Calumet College.

The other key local connection at Saint Xavier is head coach Corry Irvin, who starred at Larkin as Corry Carter and then went on to play at Fresno State. She most recently enjoyed a tremendous coaching run at Chicago Whitney Young High School where she won 449 games and coached the Dolphins to state titles in 2008, 2012 and 2014. She also coached at DePaul.

Navigato at Loras: Geneva product Cole Navigato is a junior forward on the Loras College men's basketball team based out of Dubuque, Iowa.

The 6-6 Navigato has been on a tear of late, hitting double digits in scoring in each of his last five contests. The streak started with a 15-point, 7-rebound effort against Monmouth. He had 11 points and 6 assists against McMurray and 16 points against Nebraska Wesleyan. Navigato then had 11 points and 6 rebounds against Buena Vista and 12 points and 7 rebounds against Warburg. During the 5-game stretch he shot 16 of 19 from the free-throw line.

To start the week, Navigato had played in 15 games with 10 starts and is averaging 9.8 points per game on a balanced Loras team that had five players averaging more than 8 points a contest. He's shooting .535 from the field and .771 from the foul line (37 of 48), while pulling in 4.7 rebounds per game.

Andrews at Illinois: Former Huntley basketball star Ali Andrews is wrapping up her collegiate career on the University of Illinois women's basketball team.

To start the week, Andrews, a 6-2 senior forward, is averaging 8.3 points per game to go with 4.1 rebounds per contest. Andrews is shooting .470 from the field and .348 from the 3-point line (16 of 46).

Andrews had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a game against Holy Cross where she shot 4-for-9 from the 3-point line. She also had 15 points and 5 rebounds in a Big Ten Conference matchup against Northwestern, while also going for 12 points and 8 rebounds against Presbyterian and 11 points against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Andrews was a 2019 academic all-Big Ten selection and was the recipient of the 2019 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Her sister, Sam, wrapped up her playing career in 2018 at Truman State University.

Fuzak at Roosevelt: Bennet Fuzak, a Geneva graduate, is a key contributor to the Roosevelt University men's basketball team in Chicago. To start the week, Fuzak is leading the Lakers in rebounding at 5.6 per game and blocked shots with 16.

Fuzak, a 6-8 senior forward, is averaging 12.9 points per game, which ranks second on the squad. He's drained 30 of 99 three-point attempts (.303) and is shooting .771 from the free-throw line (54-for-70).

Shaw at Triton: Larkin product Jalen Shaw is a 6-10 sophomore center on a Triton College men's basketball team that is averaging 95.6 points per game.

To start the week, Shaw is averaging 11.4 points and 6.9 rebounder per game, while adding in 22 assists, 15 steals and a team-high 38 blocked shots.

Shaw had 11 points and 9 rebounds recently against Rock Valley and 14 points and 10 boards against Harper College. He had 8 points and 8 rebounds against College of DuPage, 12 points and 9 rebounds against Midland and 19 points and 6 rebounds against College of Southern Idaho.

Triton is 14-4 overall and 3-0 in conference play.

Off at College wants your help: Send information and/or statistics on Fox Valley-area athletes playing collegiately to Mike Miazga at mjm890@gmail.com. Winter sports submissions are encouraged.