Kreager breaks out, XU comeback falls short -- Xavier Women's Basketball Message Board

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 19:38:56 11/10/01 Sat
Author: Matt Barber
Author Host/IP: cvg-65-26-154-101.cinci.rr.com / 65.26.154.101
Subject: Kreager breaks out, XU comeback falls short

Xavier suffered its second loss of the preseason, 88-85, to the Reebok Lady Stars on Saturday afternoon in the Cintas Center, but sophomore forward Kate Kreager put on a show, scoring career-highs of 33 points and 13 rebounds.
The coaches had been waiting for it, the game-performance that would establish Kreager as a top post-player.
�Kate has been phenomenal in every single practice this year,� said XU head coach Melanie Balcomb. �She�s played so hard, we�ve been waiting for her to have a break-out game.�
Kreager was 12-16 from the floor in the contest, and missed on just two of her 11 trips to the free-throw line. She scored 24 points in the second half as the Musketeers battled back from a 15-point deficit, only to fall three point short when a buzzer-beating attempt missed the rim to end the second half.
Xavier looked like it might cruise as it jumped out to an 11-0 lead to start the game, but the Lady Stars, surprised at first by XU�s speed, played sure-and-steady, tying the contest at 27 with 8:28 remaining in the first half. The teams exchanged baskets until the end of the half, when the Lady Stars held a 45-42 lead.
The second half was nearly all Kreager for the Musketeers, but the Lady Stars just kept padding their lead, pushing the difference to 15 with 6:25 to go in the game.
Junior point-guard Amy Waugh hit a three-pointer, the two teams exchanged free throws, then junior guard Reetta Piipari hit a three.
Kreager made a lay up, and, on Xavier�s next possession, sophomore forward Aida Sarajlija was fouled on a wide-open look inside. She converted on both attempts, moving XU within five, 84-79, with less than two minutes remaining.
The Musketeers and Lady Stars both made four free throws each, and Waugh hit a short jumper, but Piipari�s attempt at a buzzer-beater missed the mark in an attempt to send the game into overtime.
�We know we can come back now,� said Balcomb. �It�s good for a team this young to know that.�
Piipari hit three threes on her way to 11 points and six assists, and Waugh distributed eight assists. Sarajlija had her second-straight solid game, scoring 10 points and pulling down five boards in 24 minutes of play.
�Out biggest improvement was our overall effort as a team, our chemistry, our communication and offensive execution,� said Balcomb. �We showed a lot, that we�re a team that won�t quit.�
Freshman Ashleigh Cuncic scored eight points in 13 minutes, including a three, playing as a guard. She seemed much less nervous than she did in her college debut in the first exhibition game.
The big story was Kreager�s explosive performance.
�It was good to get �the break-out game,�� said Kreager who attributed her success in the contest to Xavier�s balanced offense that finds the open player.
�She earned that game,� said Balcomb. �She�s a gamer now.�
The Musketeers have six days to get ready for their season opener at Indiana State on Friday, and if they show the kind of improvement they made from the first exhibition to this contest, they should open with a win.
�We�ve improved a lot,� said Piipari. �We�re going the right way. We�re not there yet, but we�ll be there.�

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies: