Gray Posts Second Straight 20-Point Performance, Xavier Falls to Pirates

Tuesday, December 31

Cincinnati, Ohio

1 P.M.

Xavier University

1-12,0-2Big East

Seton Hall

9-4,2-0Big East

Seton Hall

Xavier

Gray Posts Second Straight 20-Point Performance, Xavier Falls to Pirates

12.31.19 | Women's Basketball

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The junior forward scored a team-high 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Junior A'riana Gray scored a team-high 22 points on Tuesday afternoon as the Xavier women's basketball team dropped an 83-61 contest to Seton Hall. Xavier dropped to 1-12 (0-2 BIG EAST), while the Pirates improved to 9-4 (2-0 BIG EAST).

FIRST HALF

• Seton Hall opened the game on an 18-4 run to take an early lead over the Musketeers. Back-to-back three pointers by Morgan Sharps and A'riana Gray with two minutes left in the quarter gave Xavier its first field goals of the game, making the score, 18-10. The Pirates outscored Xavier, 23-12, in the opening quarter as the Musketeers were limited to a .250 field-goal percentage (3-for-12).

• The second quarter saw the cold shooting for Xavier continue as the Musketeers were only 3-for-14 from the floor. Seton Hall outscored Xavier, 23-13, to take a 46-25 lead into the locker room.

• Xavier was 10-for-12 from the foul line the first half. A'riana Gray, Sarah Leyendecker and Morgan Sharps all had six points at intermission.

SECOND HALF

• Xavier opened the half on a 9-3 run engineered by five points from A'riana Gray, making the score, 49-34. The Musketeers closed within 11 points, 60-49, on a Gray three pointer with eight seconds on the clock before Mya Jackson hit a basket as time expired - giving the Pirates a 62-49 lead after three quarters. The Musketeers hit 53.3 percent (8-for-15) of their shot attempts in the third quarter, outscoring the Pirates, 26-24.

• Seton Hall started the final quarter on a 9-0 run on 3-for-3 shooting. The Pirates maintained their double-figure lead for the remainder of the game, outscoring the Musketeers by nine points (21-12) in the final quarter.

NOTABLES

• Junior A'riana Gray matched her season-high in scoring with 22 points, her third 20-point performance of the year and 10th of her career. The forward was 8-for-19 from the floor and 3-for-5 from behind the arc. She added five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

• Freshman Morgan Sharps added 12 points on 4-for-7 shooting with four 3-pointers. The guard chipped in four rebounds and three assists.

• Redshirt-sophomore Sarah Leyendecker scored in double figures for the second time in as many games, posting 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting. She added six rebounds. The forward was 4-for-4 from the foul line as she improved to 19-for-19 from the charity stripe this season.

• Sophomore Lauren Wasylson grabbed a career-high eight rebounds to go along with four points. Classmate Carrie Gross added seven points and four rebounds.

• Seton Hall won the battle on the glass, 44-38, and scored 18 more points off of turnovers (33-15). The Pirates also had nine more second-chance points (16-7).

• Xavier had 10 steals in the loss with seven different players recording a steal. The Musketeers have posted 10 or more steals in a game five times this season.

UP NEXT

• Xavier ends a three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 4 vs Butler. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.

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