BRONX, N.Y. – The Xavier women’s basketball team needed five extra minutes Saturday night but was able to pull out the 68-57 overtime win at Fordham. Junior Amber Gray led the Musketeers in scoring with a career-high 17 points while freshman Lakeisha Crouch recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Xavier improves to 6-17 on the year and 3-7 in Atlantic 10 action, its third league win in five games, while Fordham falls to 11-14 overall and 2-8 in conference play.
Also for the Musketeers, senior Tyeasha Moss chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and a career-high tying three blocks and sophomore Shatyra Hawkes added 11 points, a career-high tying six assists and five rebounds.
Xavier out-rebounded Fordham, 41-32, and shot 42.6 percent from the floor to FU’s 29.3 percent.
Hawkes scored the first two points of the half but the Rams took over, using a 13-2 over the next 5:30 to break open a 34-27 advantage. The Musketeers trailed for a majority of the second half until rattling off 11-straight points, including four from Moss, to go up on the Rams, 45-43. Moss missed the front end of two free throws, her first miss in 15 attempts, and FU’s Arielle Collins sank a layup to even the score at 46-all with six seconds left. Xavier couldn’t convert and into overtime the teams went.
Leading 54-52 in the extra frame, sophomore Ashley Wanninger drained a clutch 3-pointer effectively putting the game out of reach. The Musketeers made 13 of their 14 free throw attempts down the stretch to claim the 11-point, 68-67 victory.
The first half was close throughout as Xavier’s largest lead was four and Fordham’s was three. There were seven lead changes and two times in the first frame. The Musketeers committed nine turnovers and the Rams converted six points off those miscues but XU led the battle of the boards, 19-15. Pachko, along with FU’s Charlotte Stoddart, tallied a game-best six points during the first 20 minutes.
The Rams were led by Abigail Corning with 15 points and seven rebounds while Stoddart added seven rebounds as well.
Up next for the Musketeers is a return home for the Play4Kay game Wednesday, February 15 against Richmond. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Cintas Center and the first 1,000 fans will receive an Amy Waughbobblehead. Wear pink!
Leave a Reply