UC tops in Cinci for sixth-straight year -- Xavier Women's Basketball Message Board

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Date Posted: 18:29:34 12/02/01 Sun
Author: Matt Barber
Author Host/IP: net206-164-036.xu.edu / 206.21.164.36
Subject: UC tops in Cinci for sixth-straight year

Xavier�s main hurdle to clear this season may be its own inexperience. For the fourth straight game, a lack of game experience prevented the Musketeers (2-4) from executing down the stretch to put an opponent away as Cincinnati was able to outlast XU, 62-56, in the Cintas Center Sunday afternoon.
The Bearcats (5-0) are now the winners of the last six women�s cross-town shootouts, defeating the best Xavier team in school history last year, and topping possibly the youngest in XU history this year.
In one of the more physical games either team will play this season, the post players of UC, led by freshman Debbie Merrill�s 22 points and 13 rebounds, exploited Xavier�s lack of frontcourt depth by getting Musketeer center Kate Kreager in foul trouble and then pounding the ball inside.
XU, losers of four-straight for the first time since January of 1997, overcame a seven-point halftime deficit by opening the second period with a 19-6 run. Working the ball inside to Kreager and complementing it with accurate outside shooting, including two straight threes from guard Reetta Piipari, the Musketeer offense looked tough to stop as the score stood 45-39 with less than 10 minutes to play, but then its inexperience resurfaced.
With two freshmen and a sophomore who played only 42 minutes last season getting large amounts of playing time, XU missed four shots, turned the ball over twice and committed four fouls in the next 5:54 during which Cincinnati tallied 12 points and Kreager had to go to the bench with her fourth foul.
A lay-up by guard Amy Waugh broke the scoreless spell, and seldom-used center Colleen Yukes, a sophomore who totaled a career-high 23 minutes, played admirably in place of Kreager, but Xavier was then down 51-47.
�We got our lead and stopped executing,� said Xavier head coach Melanie Balcomb. �We have a lot of inexperience on the floor, and no one wants to step up.�
�We just fell apart,� said Piipari.
The Musketeers would get back within four, 58-54, in the final minute, but Cincinnati made enough free throws to hold on to the contest.
�I was very pleased with how our kids responded down six,� said Cincinnati head coach Laurie Pirtle. �We pulled it back together.�
Cincinnati began the contest with a 10-2 run over the game�s first 3:47 as the Musketeer offense struggled to execute against the Bearcat�s tight man-to-man defense. UC pushed the lead to 12, 22-10, before Xavier responded with an 8-0 run, fueled by threes from Waugh and Piipari, to cut the margin to four.
UC extended their lead back to eight with two straight baskets, before two Waugh free throws and a lay-up by forward Alexis Henderson brought it back to four.
The Bearcats ended the first half on a 5-2 run to carry a 33-26 lead into the locker room.
Merrill�s double-double for UC led all players in both categories. She was followed by center Tammy Douglass�s 13 points and five boards.
For XU, Waugh had team-high totals of 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists while playing nearly the entire contest with a fire and desire that was just not enough to will Xavier to a victory. Piipari and guard Shavon Bell added 12 points each, and Kreager had tallied 10 before she fouled-out with 2:50 left in the game.
Xavier outrebounded Cincinnati, 36-34, but turned the ball over 20 times, seven more than the Bearcats. XU was also cold shooting for long stretches of the contest, ending the game at just over 40 percent from the field.
�We need to become more of a team, work even harder than we�ve been working, and play as a team,� said Piipari of how Xavier would deal with this series of setbacks.
UC outscored the Musketeers 30-22 in the paint, and converted Xavier�s turnovers into 20 points.
�Our practices are not were they should be. We have a lot to teach, on and off the court,� said a frustrated Balcomb after the contest.

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