Second-Half Comeback Falls Short at Robert Morris

Sunday, December 1

Moon Township, Pa.

12 p.m.

Xavier University

1-5, 0-0BE

Robert Morris

4-3, 0-0NEC

Xavier

Robert Morris

Second-Half Comeback Falls Short at Robert Morris

12.01.19 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats

Sophomore Carrie Gross had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Xavier women's basketball dropped a 71-57 contest at Robert Morris on Sunday afternoon. The Musketeers dropped to 1-5 on the year, while the Colonials improved to 4-3.

The Musketeers outscored Robert Morris, 40-29, in the second half, but couldn't overcome a first-half deficit plagued by turnovers. The Colonials scored 21 points off of 16 Musketeer turnovers in the first half to take a 42-17 advantage into the locker room. The Colonials finished the game scoring 31 points off of 26 Xavier turnovers.

FIRST HALF

• Robert Morris hit four of its first five shots of the game, taking a 9-4 lead at the first media timeout. Xavier closed within three points (11-8) on an Ayanna Townsend layup with 3:40 on the clock before the Colonials scored eight unanswered points to close the stanza. Townsend led Xavier with four points after one quarter of play.

• Robert Morris outscored Xavier, 23-9, in the second quarter by hitting 60 percent (9-for-15) of its shot attempts with four 3-pointers. Turnovers proved costly for the Musketeers as Robert Morris scored 21 points off of 16 Xavier turnovers in the first half.

• Xavier held a 15-12 advantage on the glass with five different players grabbing two rebounds. Lauren Wasylson led the Musketeers with five points, while Ayanna Townsend added four.

SECOND HALF

• Xavier opened the second half on a 6-3 run engineered by four Sarah Leyendecker points to force a Robert Morris timeout at the 8:08 mark. The Musketeers outscored the Colonials, 19-18, in the third quarter to make the score 60-36. Leyendecker led the Musketeers with eight points in the frame, while Carrie Gross added six.

• The Musketeers opened the final quarter on a 10-3 run capped by an Aaliyah Dunham three pointer at the 6:59 mark. A Carrie Gross layup at the 5:07 mark forced a Robert Morris timeout and got the Musketeers within 15 points (65-50).

• Xavier kept chipping away at its deficit, closing within 11 points (65-54) on a Lauren Wasylson three pointer with 2:17 left in regulation. Following a three-point play by Robert Morris, Morgan Sharps drained a three pointer to get Xavier within 11 points again (68-57) with 1:11 on the clock. Robert Morris hit a three pointer on its final posession of the game to make the final score, 71-57.

• The Musketeers outscored Robert Morris, 21-11, in the final quarter. Xavier was 6-for-11 from the floor and 4-for-4 from behind the arc in the final stanza. Aaliyah Dunham scored all of her six points in the fourth quarter.

NOTABLES

• Sophomore Carrie Gross led Xavier with 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting. She was also 4-for-4 from the foul line and had two steals.

• Xavier held a 41-25 advantage on the glass, led by juniors A'riana Gray and Deja Ross who both pulled down seven. Carrie Gross also had six rebounds.

• Xavier had its best performance of the season from the foul line, going 14-for-16. Four Musketeers were perfect from the charity stripe.

• Sophomore Ayanna Townsend added nine points and five rebounds. Classmates Lauren Wasylson and Sarah Leyendecker both chipped in eight points.

• Junior Aaliyah Dunham added six points on 2-for-3 shooting, while dishing out a team-high four assists.

UP NEXT

• Xavier opens a three-game homestand on Friday, Dec. 6 against Colorado. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center.