CINCINNATI, OH – Behind two double-figure scorers and an all-around team effort, the Charlotte 49ers (9-6, A-10: 1-0) defeated Xavier (3-11, A-10: 0-1), 58-54, on the road in their Atlantic 10 opener. With the win, the 49ers ended Xavier’s 29-game A-10 regular-season winning streak and their 21-game home winning streak against Atlantic 10 foes.
“It was great to come in break Xavier’s long winning streak,” said Charlotte coach Cara Consuegra, who recorded her first career Atlantic 10 victory. “Even more importantly, I am proud of our team for gutting out this win. We have been in a lot of close games this season and we have learned lessons from those games. We did not play great. However, we had enough people do the right things at the right time to gut out a tough road win.”
Gabby Tyler led the 49ers with her second straight double-double with 10 points and career-high tying 12 rebounds. Jennifer Hailey scored 10 points. Jai Forney added nine points. Epiphany Woodson scored eight points off the bench. Every Niner that played in the game scored at least four points. Charlotte behind the scoring of Hammonds, Forney and Woodson finished the game with a 24-12 advantage in bench points.
Charlotte finished the game with a 40-34 advantage in rebounds. Tyler led the 49ers with 12 rebounds. Amanda Dowe recorded her sixth double-figure rebounding game of the season with 10 boards.
In the first half, the lead exchanged hands several times with six ties over the first 18 minutes. Charlotte trailed 25-24 with two minutes left in the half. Then, the 49ers behind jump shots by Dowe and Hailey scored the half’s final four points taking a 28-25 halftime lead.
In the second half, Hillary Sigmon scored pushing the 49ers lead to 30-25 at the 19:15 mark. Then, Xavier went on a 7-2 run over the next four minutes tying the score at 32 when Amber Gray scored inside at the 15:11 mark.
Charlotte behind baskets by Ny Hammonds, Woodson and Forney pushed their lead to a game-high six points, 38-32, with 13:58 on the clock.
Then, Xavier went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes taking a 44-40 lead with 8:39 on the clock when Jessica Pachko scored inside.
Charlotte went on a 6-0 run over the next two minutes. Forney and Dowe each converted two free throws. Hammonds gave the 49ers a 46-44 lead when she knocked down a jump shot in the lane at the 6:08 mark.
Xavier regained the lead behind a free throw by Pachko and a three from the base line by Ashley Wanninger at the 4:26 mark.
Then, Xavier had the ball leading by two points with just over three minutes left in the game. The 49ers Ayanna Holmes made one of the plays of the game when she stole the ball inside. She was immediately fouled by Pachko. Hammonds converted the two free throws tying the score at 48 with 3:16 on the clock.
Xavier answered Holmes’ two free throws with a basket inside by Pachko giving Xavier their final lead 50-48 with 3:02 on the clock. Charlotte behind the scoring of Woodson and Tyler regained the lead for good behind a 7-0 run over the final three minutes. Woodson scored six points during the 49ers’s run.
Charlotte closed out their Atlantic 10 opening victory over Xavier behind timely free throw shooting by Forney and Hammonds over the final 30-seconds.
Charlotte returns to action when they host Saint Louis in Halton Arena in their Atlantic 10 home opener, Wednesday, January 11 at 7 pm.
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