CINCINNATI – The Xavier women’s basketball team won its fourth-straight Crosstown Classic against intracity rival Cincinnati, 69-67, Sunday afternoon at UC’s Fifth Third Arena. Senior Jessica Pachko and sophomore Lakeisha Crouch paced the Musketeers with 15 points apiece in the double-overtime thriller for the Kendle Cup.
Also for the Musketeers, junior Shatyra Hawkes scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out a game-high three assists before fouling out with just over a minute left in regulation. Junior Ashley Wanninger scored nine points for XU, all in the second half and all from behind the 3-point line. Junior Ty O’Neill was 6-for-8 from the line, scored eight points and came up with four huge steals for Xavier.
Xavier improves to 4-3 on the season while Cincinnati drops to 4-2 after the loss.
The Musketeers posted shot 32.3 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from beyond the arc for the game. XU was 22-31 (71.0%) from the free throw line, including 9-for-10 in the overtime periods. The Bearcats shot 28.9 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from long range as well as 78.6 percent from the charity stripe.
UC out-rebounded XU, 59-42, including 25-12 on the offensive glass. The turnovers were even at 13 apiece and the Bearcats committed 22 fouls to the Musketeers’ 26.
Pachko scored eight of her 15 points in the overtime periods, turning up her play when the Musketeers needed it most. Freshman Aliyah Zantt game Xavier the one-point lead with 27 seconds left in the first overtime period after sinking a clutch 3-point jumper from the wing. UC’s Dayeesha Hollins floated a layup into the basket on the opposite end to send the game into the second overtime.
The sixth tie of the contest came at 3:09 of the second overtime, 64-64, after two made free throw baskets from Pachko. A layup from Crouch and two more free throws from freshman Jenna Crittendon put XU up four and the Musketeers would hold on for the 69-67 win over the Bearcats.
After trailing by as many as 11 points, the Musketeers starting mounting a comeback late in the second half. Down nine, 50-41, with 3:44 remaining in the second half, scored seven-straight points fueled by five points from Hawkes to get within one. With 16 showing on the clock, O’Neill coolly sank two free throw to even the game at 53-all. On the following UC possession, O’Neill scramble for the steal and ensured the extra period.
After going up 7-1 early on the Bearcats, the Musketeers suffered through a seven-minute scoring drought allowing UC to rattle off 12 straight points to go up, 13-7. Pachko ended the Cincinnati scoring run with an old-fashioned three-point play at the 9:20 mark and Xavier pulled within two, 13-11, after a made free throw by Crouch. UC controlled most of the rest of half, stretching its lead to as many as 11, 24-13.
The Bearcats were led by Hollins with 25 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. Also for UC, Tiffany Turner posted the team’s second double-double of the game with 11 points and 14 rebounds to go with three steals.
The Musketeers return to action on December 6 with a trip to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Tip is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be available on ESPN3.com.
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