Xavier Comeback Falls Short at Wake Forest

Thursday, December 8

Winston-Salem, N.C.

7 p.m.

Xavier University

6-1

Wake Forest

7-2

Xavier

Wake Forest

12.08.16 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Demon Deacons hand Musketeers first loss of season, 58-45, on Thursday night

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Xavier women's basketball dropped its first game of the 2016-17 season on Thursday night, falling at Wake Forest, 58-45, at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Musketeers (6-1) trailed by as many as 16 in the first half before chipping away at the deficit. Xavier used a 13-4 run to open the second half and get within three (33-29), but the Demon Deacons (7-3) pulled away in the fourth quarter to escape with the victory.

NOTABLES

• Raeshaun Gaffney led Xavier with 13 points on 6-for-15 shooting. Maddison Blackwell was the only other Xavier player in double figures with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting.

• Marquia Turner added eight points, four rebounds and four assists. The junior guard added a career-high six steals. Xavier finished with 10 steals, its second game of the season with 10 or more steals.

• Xavier was outrebounded for only the second time this season as Wake Forest held a 45-32 advantage on the glass. Kindell Fincher paced the Musketeers with a career-high seven rebounds.

• Leah Schaefer added eight points on 4-for-7 shooting to go along with four rebounds and a block.

• Xavier forced 16 Wake Forest turnovers, turning the miscues into 17 points.

FIRST QUARTER

• Xavier was held scoreless in the first six minutes of play before Maddison Blackwell knocked down the first basket of the game for Xavier. The Musketeers were plagued by cold shooting (1-for-11) and turnovers (7) as the Demon Deacons led, 18-2, at the end of the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

• Xavier opened the second quarter with a 6-2 run to get within 12 before Wake Forest pushed its lead back out to 16, 26-10, with 5:01 left in the half. The Demon Deacons maintained its double-figure lead for the remainder of the quarter to take a 29-16 advantage into the locker room.

• Maddison Blackwell and Raeshaun Gaffney paced the Musketeers with four points at the half. Marquia Turner added four rebounds, three assists and three points.

THIRD QUARTER

• Xavier opened the second half on a 13-4 run via 5-for-9 shooting to erase its double-figure deficit to get within four (33-29) at the 5:03 mark. An Imani Partlow layup with 1:03 on the clock got Xavier within three (38-35) before Wake Forest pushed its lead out to five (40-35) at the end of the quarter.

• Xavier hit 50 percent of its shot attempts in the frame, going 8-for-16 from the floor. The Musketeers outscored the Demon Deacons, 19-11.

FOURTH QUARTER

• Wake Forest used an 11-6 run to open the fourth quarter and regain a double-figure lead, 51-41, with just under two minutes left in regulation. The Demon Deacons went 6-for-6 from the foul line in the closing minutes to seal the victory.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 11 at Cincinnati in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Fifth Third Arena.