Conference-Leader DePaul Pulls Away Late, Tops Xavier, 73-72

Sunday, February 11

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 p.m.

Xavier University

9-17 (2-13)

DePaul

20-6 (12-2)

DePaul

Xavier

Conference-Leader DePaul Pulls Away Late, Tops Xavier, 73-72

02.11.18 | Women's Basketball

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

Freshman Princess Stewart scored a season-high 13 points to go along with five rebounds

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier women's basketball led for nearly 30 minutes against conference-leader DePaul on Sunday afternoon, but the Blue Demons escaped Cintas Center with a 73-72 win.

The Musketeers moved to 9-17 (2-13 BIG EAST), while the Blue Demons improved to 20-6 (12-2 BIG EAST).

THE STORYLINES

• The game featured nine lead changes and four ties. Xavier led for 28 minutes, while DePaul led for only seven and a half minutes. The game was also tied for four and a half minutes.

• DePaul led by six, 67-61, with 5:44 left in regulation before the Musketeers used an 8-2 run fueled by six Anniina Äijänen points to tie the game at 69 with 1:55 left on the clock. DePaul went 4-for-4 from the foul line in the closing minutes to take a 73-70 lead with six seconds left in the game.

• Kindell Fincher hit a jumper as time expired to make the final ledger, 73-72. The junior guard's shot was initially called a three pointer, which would have sent the game to overtime, but after official review – the officials called it a two-point basket as Fincher's foot was on the line.

• Xavier opened the game by hitting 10 of its first 11 shots, taking its largest lead of the game, 27-12, with 1:32 left in the first quarter. The Musketeers led, 27-19, after one quarter of play.

• The Blue Demons outscored Xavier, 20-18, in the second quarter to make the score, 45-39, at intermission. Aaliyah Dunham paced Xavier with 11 points and three rebound at the break.

• The Musketeers maintained their lead until the closing seconds on the third quarter when a DePaul basket with 24 seconds on the clock tied the game at 54. Neither team led by more than two possessions in the fourth quarter.

NOTABLES

• Xavier posted a season-high .600 field-goal percentage (27-for-45), the team's highest field-goal percentage since hitting 62.7 percent (32-for-51) of its shot attempts versus Richmond on Feb. 15, 2012.

• Anniina Äijänen scored a game-high 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, one point away from matching her career high. She added four rebounds, three steals and two assists.

• Princess Stewart scored a career-high 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting, while matching her career high in rebounding (5). The freshman guard added two assists, one steal and one block.

• Na'Teshia Owens finished with 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting to go along with three rebounds and two steals. The sophomore guard also dished out a career-high six assists.

• Xavier hit 12 three-pointers against DePaul, the team's seventh game of the year with 10 or more threes. The Musketeers now have 192 three pointers on the year, 31 more than all of last season. The 192 three pointers rank 8th in single-season school history with three regular-season games left on the schedule.

• Xavier finished the game 12-for-22 from behind the arc with four players hitting two or more shots from three-point range.

• Xavier held a 20-18 advantage in points off of turnovers, while the Blue Demons posted a 15-1 advantage in second-chance points off of 18 offensive rebounds.

• DePaul held a 38-21 advantage on the glass with Kelly Campbell pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds. She added nine points and nine assists for the Blue Demons.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Friday, Feb. 16 at Creighton. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. ET with the game being aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network.