Depth won’t be an issue for the Saint Louis University women’s basketball team this year. Coach Jill Pizzotti finally has a healthy team at the beginning of the season. The Billikens showed how valuable those newly healed members can be in their second and last exhibition game of the year against St. Louis Goldstars last Friday night.
SLU looked inside from the opening tip and grabbed a quick 6-0 lead off baskets from sophomore forwards Jana Haywood Angie Lewis and Stephanie Solomon. The Goldstars then went on a 7-0 run to gain a 7-6 lead three minutes into the game.
The game went back-and-forth for the next few minutes. But SLU began to build a lead with 12 minutes left in the half. Junior forward Shanda Greer scored to give the Bills a 16-12 lead. Then SLU’s speed took over.
Junior guard Melissa Oliver scored on a fastbreak. After a pair of free throws from Amie Van Duerzen, junior forward Lakia Jones hit a layup on the break off a pass from junior guard Christan Shelton. Sophomore guard Kirsti Holloway hit two from the charity stripe and SLU quickly had a 28-16 lead.
The Goldstars made a 10-6 run at the end of the half, but SLU still led 34-26 at the half.
The Billikens shot 38 percent from the floor as a team and converted 8-14 free throws. SLU’s defense was dominant, as it held the Goldstars to 25 percent from the floor and 1-8 shooting from three-point range. The Goldstars capitalized on 9-12 shooting from the free throw line and were able to keep the game close.
Shelton took no time to score the first points of the second half, giving SLU a 36-26 lead 12 seconds into the second half. But Goldstar didn’t go away and cut
SLU’s lead to 39-35 just three minutes into the second half after two free throws from Yen Quach.
But Goldstar couldn’t get any closer. The Billikens were able to hold off Goldstar and simultaneously built their lead back up. Greer started the run when she hit a jumper from the free throw line to give SLU a 41-37 lead.
Shelton hit a layup from a pass from Melissa Oliver. That duo struck again on SLU’s next possession. Oliver started the break and fed Shelton upcourt. Shelton found Lewis with at touch-pass for an easy layup that gave SLU a 45-37 lead.
Lewis gave SLU its first double-digit lead since early in the second half when she hit a jumper at the free throw line. The Bills then went on a quick 7-0 run that displayed SLU’s good ball movement and quick perimeter passing. After quickly reversing the ball, Lewis was open again and scored on a short shot in the lane.
SLU’s lead continued to grow and a baseline jumper from Shelton gave the Billikens a 61-43 lead.
The Billikens were able to hit their free throws late and maintained their double-digit lead and cruised to a 77-62 win.
SLU shot 44 percent from the field for the game and hit 61 percent from the free throw line. They held Goldstars to 31 percent from the field and 16 percent from three-point range.
Three Billikens reached double-figures. Shelton led the team 16 points. Lewis poured in 14 points and Lakia Jones added 11. Greer was the leading rebounder with nine.
Lewis has played a vital role to SLU’s preseason success. After working hard in the offseason, she has worked her way into the starting lineup and doesn’t show any signs of giving it up.
“Being a sophomore, I have a big role to fill,” said Lewis. “I worked hard this summer. It will take hard work to stay in the position I’m in. The main thing that I worked on was my confidence. I work hard to do whatever I can to help the team.”
Pizzotti was pleased with the effort, and used the game as a measuring stick for the Bills.
“It was nice to play against a man defense,” said Pizzotti. “It was a good opportunity. We got minutes for a lot of players. We started some different kids than in the first game. It was another good learning experience. We determined the things we need to work on.”
