Women's Basketball Falls to Villanova on Friday Night

Friday, February 7

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 P.M.

Xavier University

2-20,1-10Big East

Villanova

13-10,7-5Big East

Villanova

Xavier

Women's Basketball Falls to Villanova on Friday Night

02.07.20 | Women's Basketball

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

Junior Deja Ross pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds in the loss

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball dropped a 55-54 contest vs Villanova on Friday night at Cintas Center. The Musketeers moved to 2-20 (1-10 BIG EAST), while the Wildcats improved to 13-10 (7-5 BIG EAST).

FIRST HALF

• Xavier went 5-for-8 from the floor to open the game, taking a 12-9 lead at the media timeout (3:10). Junior Aaliyah Dunham capped the run with back-to-back three pointers. The Musketeers kept up the strong shooting as they hit 50 percent (7-for-14) of their shot attempts to lead Villanova, 16-9, after one quarter.

• Xavier hit its first two baskets of the second quarter, extending its lead to 11 points (20-9) with 9:26 on the clock. Villanova responded with a 12-4 run to get within three points (24-21) at the media timeout (4:51). The Musketeers closed the half on 4-for-7 shooting with five points coming from Morgan Sharps, taking a 33-27 advantage into the locker room.

• Courtney Prenger and Aaliyah Dunham led the Musketeers with eight points each at intermission. Dunham dished out five assists, while Deja Ross led the team on the glass with six points. Xavier hit 48.3 percent (14-for-29) of its shot attempts in the first half and held an 11-3 advantage in points off of turnovers.

SECOND HALF

• Villanova used an 11-3 run on 5-for-7 shooting to to open the half, taking a 38-36 lead and forcing a Xavier timeout. The Musketeers responded by going on a 12-4 run capped by an Aaliyah Dunham three-point play with four seconds on the clock. Both teams scored 15 points in the third quarter as the Musketeers led by six points (48-42) with 10 minutes left in regulation.

• Villanova started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to regain the lead, 49-48. The Wildcats made it a 9-0 run on a Madison Siegrist jumper at the 5:23 mark to force a Xavier timeout.

• Xavier responded with a 6-1 run capped by a pair of Carrie Gross free throws with 48 seconds on the clock, giving Xavier a 54-52 lead. Raven James hit a three pointer with 35 seconds left in regulation to give the Wildcats a one-point lead (55-54).

• The Musketeers failed to sink one of the five shots they took down the stretch as Villanova escaped with the win.

NOTABLES

• Junior Aaliyah Dunham and sophomore Carrie Gross led the Musketeers in scoring with 11 points each. Dunham also dished out a team-high seven assists.

• Freshman Morgan Sharps added 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting, while classmate Courtney Prenger added nine points. Prenger also pulled down four rebounds and recorded a team-high four steals.

• Junior Deja Ross led the team on the glass with a career-high 12 rebounds. She added six points.

• Sophomore Ayanna Townsend chipped in eight rebounds and five points.

• Xavier won the battle on the glass, 43-42, despite the Musketeers missing their top two rebounders (A'riana Gray and Sarah Leyendecker) due to injuries. The Musketeers also hed a 15-10 advantage in points off of turnovers.

UP NEXT

• Xavier continues its homestand on Sunday, Feb. 9 vs Georgetown. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. from Cintas Center.

HIGHLIGHTS