By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Laurie Pirtle toughened the nonconference schedule for her Cincinnati women's basketball team to ready it for Conference USA play. But in a three-game losing streak, it appeared UC was readying to unravel.

Yet the Bearcats (9-5) have rebounded by winning three of four games, with the lone loss coming at No. 23 Michigan State, and Pirtle feels good about the start of league play.

"You've gotta hope that maybe even if you took it on the chin, something else long-term is going to happen for you," Pirtle said of the schedule. "We'll see if it pays off."

UC was girding for a stronger C-USA, which as the No. 7-rated league in the RPI stands two spots higher than last year.

UC was picked third in the preseason league poll behind TCU and DePaul. DePaul (12-1) is ranked No. 18, with its lone loss coming in overtime to Tennessee. TCU (10-2) is 19th, losing only to Tennessee and Rutgers. Other contenders include Houston (9-2), rated 22nd in the RPI, and Memphis (10-3).

Pirtle said UC has been adapting to specialty defenses geared to stop honorable mention All-Americans Debbie Merrill and Valerie King. The Bearcats are excelling thus far in field goal defense - 38.9 percent, compared with 42.5 last season - and 3-point shooting - 36.6 percent, up from 30.2.

"It was tough" losing three straight, Pirtle said. "But it flipped a light on for us. We're competing better now."

UC is getting a boost from freshman guard Karen Twehues, who has totaled 27 points in two games. The NCAA mandated she miss the first 12 games because she had played for a club team in her native Switzerland.

UC opens C-USA play with visits to Marquette on Friday and DePaul on Sunday. The DePaul game, at 4 p.m, will be on ESPN2.

XAVIER: The Musketeers (8-5) are in a hole, having lost their first two Atlantic 10 games to the two teams picked ahead of them in the A-10 West, George Washington and Richmond. Both were at home.

"We've been very inconsistent," coach Kevin McGuff said. "We lack a little of an identity as a team."

While XU has great depth, with 11 players averaging 16 or more minutes a game, McGuff aims to whittle the rotation. It's also natural to expect this team to mature as the season goes on; the only senior in the rotation is Aida Sarajlija (7.0 ppg).

"In the long run, going through all this is going to make us a great basketball team," McGuff said.

Two newcomers have stood out lately. Six-foot-3 junior Adeola Olanrewaju, a transfer from North Carolina State, has averaged 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the five games since becoming eligible. Freshman guard Suntana Granderson (9.7 ppg) had career highs of 24 points and eight rebounds Monday in the overtime loss to Richmond.

XU plays Friday at St. Bonaventure and Sunday at Duquesne. The latter game, at 2 p.m., is on Fox Sports Net.

MIAMI: The RedHawks (6-5) had won five of six games before a loss Friday at Missouri. Every loss has been to a team from the six biggest conferences.

MU opens defense of its Mid-American Conference East title tonight at Buffalo. Senior forward Colleen Day, who has won back-to-back MAC East player of the week honors, needs just 27 points to become the 15th 1,000-point scorer in school history.

---

The women's basketball notebook will appear Wednesdays for the remainder of the season.