Sunday, March 03, 2002
Women: Waugh keys Xavier upset
Muskies beat GW to reach A-10 semifinals
Enquirer news services
PHILADELPHIA — Amy Waugh's record-tying 3-point effort led Xavier to a 67-64 win over George Washington in the quarterfinals of the Verizon Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship on Saturday.
The Musketeers (12-18), who had defeated GW in the previous two A-10 championship games, will play in their fifth straight A-10 semifinal, at 3p.m. today against Saint Joseph's.
Waugh led Saturday's effort by tying the Atlantic 10 Tournament record with seven 3-pointers. She was 7-for-13 from behind the arc to lead Xavier with 23 points. It's the seventh time in Xavier's last nine games that Waugh has scored 20 or more points.
Xavier trailed by two with 11 minutes left in the game but took over as GW hit just two field goals over a nearly 10-minute stretch in the second half.
“I give credit to my teammates for giving me the ball when I was open,” Waugh said. “We are finally beginning to be a team and play together. I feel we executed our offense better in the second half, and that helped us win.”
“When we were making our run on GW, I had flashbacks. It almost felt like I was coaching that same team (last year's Elite Eight club) although a lot of those same players weren't out there,” Xavier head coach Melanie Balcomb said. “I was just seeing blue jersey's with Xs on them instead of a wholenew team and I can honestly tell you I felt that confidence because of thepast.”XU won its second straight A-10 Title with five seniors en route to a 31-3record and a run to the Mideast Region Final in the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
Coming into this season just one of Xavier's 11 players had two full yearsof college experience.
Xavier scored the first five points of the game en route to opening up a 9-4 advantage in the first three and a half minutes of the game. GW fought back and tied the game at 14 with 11:30 left in the half. It was the first of six ties in the remainder of the period, a time span that included three lead changes as well.
The Colonials outscored Xavier 6-2 over the final three and a half minutes of the period to break at 28-all tie and hold a 34-30 lead at intermission.
GW stretched the lead to six as many as six in the first four minutes of thesecond half. XU battled back forcing the lead to change hands three moretimes.
Xavier got the lead for good on a Waugh three that broke a 43-all tie with9:53 left in the game. GW never got closer than two points the rest of thegame.
Aida Sarajlija scored a career high 14 points for Xavier, 12 of which camein the first half.
Reetta Piipari dished out 10 assists in the game, giving her 501 for hercareer. She is third on Xavier's all-time assists list, just 44 behind therecord holder Nikki Kremer ('99).
No.23 Cincinnati 80, Louisville 70
CHICAGO — Debbie Merrill scored a career-high 31 points, and Valerie King added 26 to lead UC in the quarterfinal round of the Conference USA Tournament.
Merrill, who was named to the freshman all-American third team by the Women's Basketball News Service, shot 10-for-14 from the field and 11-for-12 from the line, and finished with eight rebounds for the third-seeded Bearcats (24-4), who face Houston in today's semifinal round.
Marju Sober and Kara Kessens each scored 16 points for Louisville (17-12), which squandered a 15-point lead in the first half.
Cincinnati rallied from a 41-26 deficit and tied the game at 57 on a running jumper by King with 10:38 remaining.
King made a pair of free throws to give the Bearcats a 61-59 advantage, their first lead of the second half. Cincinnati pushed its lead to 70-63 with 3:25 left and never looked back.
Miami 80, Akron 60
Kim Lancaster (Princeton High) scored 19 points, and Miami, the No.4 seed, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Miami will play No.5 Western Michigan at 4p.m. Wednesday.
Against Akron, Heather Cusick became Miami's all-time assists leader.
Southern Indiana 89, NKU 79
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Jessica Stuckman and Jasmine Moore each scored 22 points as Southern Indiana captured the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship.
Stuckman was named the tournament's most valuable player for the second straight season after leading the Eagles to their second consecutive GLVC championship.
Southern Indiana, which won its second straight GLVC title, improved to 26-5.
NKU (23-6) built a 10-point lead midway through the first half as Kristin Polosky and Suzie Smith (Boone County) combined for 20 points. Southern Indiana, however, used a 19-3 run to take a 48-42 halftime lead.
Bridget Flanagan (Mercy) led NKU with 20 points. Michelle Cottrell (Boone County) scored 14 points for NKU and earned all-tournament honors; Smith added 13 points and also was named to the all-tournament team.
Pairings for the NCAA Division II Tournament will be announced at 10p.m. today.
NKU will receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and the Norse probably will be the No.3 seed in the NCAA II Great Lakes Region.
Wilmington 82, Bethany 66
WILMINGTON, Ohio — Megan Woodruff (East Clinton) scored 17 points as the Lady Quakers advanced past Bethany in the NCAA Division III tournament.
Tara Rausch scored 15 points and had 17 rebounds for the Lady Quakers (27-1), and Siobhan Zerilla (Mercy) added 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Wilmington next plays Friday in the sectional round against Hope College, which defeated Thomas More Saturday.
Hope 87, Thomas More 76
Amanda Kerkstra scored 20 points as Hope (27-2) ousted the Saints (19-7) in the Division III tournament.
Holly Roberts (Gallatin County) led TMC with 25 points.
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Women: Waugh keys Xavier upset
