Gray Nearly Misses Double-Double in Loss to Eastern Kentucky

Sunday, December 8

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 p.m.

Xavier University

1-7,0-0Big East

Eastern Kentucky

6-3,0-0OVC

Eastern Ky.

Xavier

Gray Nearly Misses Double-Double in Loss to Eastern Kentucky

12.08.19 | Women's Basketball

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Junior A'riana Gray led Xavier with nine points and a season-high 17 rebounds

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Junior A'riana Gray nearly missed her second double-double of the year on Sunday afternoon, posting nine points and a season-high 17 rebounds as the Musketeers dropped a 56-55 contest vs Eastern Kentucky. The Musketeers moved to 1-7 on the year, while the Colonels improved to 6-3.

Xavier led by as many as 21 points late in the first half, but Eastern Kentucky engineered a fourth-quarter comeback to upset the Musketeers. The Colonels outscored Xavier, 27-11, in the final stanza on 9-for-12 shooting with six 3-pointers.

FIRST HALF

• Xavier outscored Eastern Kentucky, 15-6, in the first quarter. The Musketeer defense held the Colonels to 0-for-10 shooting to start the game before Eastern Kentucky went 2-for-9 from the floor to end the frame. Deja Ross scored all five of her points in the opening quarter.

• The Musketeers opened the second quarter on a 17-5 run, taking its largest lead of the game, 32-11, with 3:20 left in the first half. Xavier hit 50 percent (6-for-12) of its shots during the run. The Colonels responded by scoring seven unanswered points to end the half, making the score, 32-18, at intermission.

• A'riana Gray led Xavier with seven points and 13 rebounds at halftime.

SECOND HALF

• Xavier maintained its double-figure lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Colonels, 12-11, to take a 44-29 lead into the final frame. Lauren Wasylson scored five of her eight points in the third quarter. Both teams only hit 26 percent of their shots in the third quarter.

• Eastern Kentucky opened the final quarter on a 12-3 run on 4-for-5 shooting, closing within six points (47-41) at the 6:24 mark. An Aaliyah Dunham three pointer with 5:58 on the clock pushed Xavier's lead back to nine points (50-41).

• The Colonels responded with a 13-2 run over the next four and a half minutes to take their first lead of the game, 54-52. Eastern Kentucky made two free throws down the stretch to extend its lead to four (56-52) with four second left on the clock.

• An Aaliyah Dunham three pointer as time expired made the final score, 56-55. She scored all six of her second-half points in the fourth quarter.

NOTABLES

• The loss snapped a four-game win streak in the series for the Musketeers. Xavier moved to 5-7 in the all-time series vs Eastern Kentucky.

• Junior A'riana Gray led the Musketeers with nine points on 4-for-16 shooting. The forward grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds, the most rebounds in a game by a BIG EAST player this season. She added two blocks and one steal. She now has 25 career double-figure rebounding games.

• Eastern Kentucky had four more blocks (10-6) than the Musketeers. The six blocks were a season-high for the Musketeers. The Colonels also had three more steals (12-9) than Xavier.

• Xavier scored three more points off of turnovers (22-19) than Eastern Kentucky. The Musketeers forced 19 turnovers in the loss.

• Xavier won the battle on the glass, 49-45. Sophomore Carrie Gross added six rebounds, while four other players had four rebounds for the Musketeers: Ayanna Townsend, Sarah Leyendecker, Aaliyah Dunham and Deja Ross.

• Junior Aaliyah Dunham scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from behind the arc. She added four assists and a team-high four steals. Sophomore Carrie Gross dished out a career-high five assists.

• Sophomore Lauren Wasylson added eight points, while classmate Sarah Leyendecker chipped in six.

UP NEXT

• Xavier closes its three-game homestand on Saturday, Dec. 14 vs Cincinnati in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.

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