The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team lost a 66-62
nail-biter to the University of Cincinnati Sunday afternoon at the
Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Forward Angie Lewis led the Billiken effort with 18 points,
going six-for-16 from the field and six-for-eight from the free
throw mark. Three other Billikens finished the outing in double
figures; Jana Haywood and Yanique Javois each finished with 11
points while Stephanie Soloman kicked in another 10.
SLU’s defense held Cincy’s leading scorers Debbie Merrill and
Valerie King scoreless in the first half, but UC still managed to
hold a 31-24 lead at halftime.
After the break, the Billikens tested the Bearcats but were
still at a 36-31 deficit, even after Kirsti Holloway nailed a three
to narrow Cincinnati’s growing lead.
After another UC basket, Ava Smith buried five straight points
to tie the game after drilling a long three-pointer and a quick
jumper. Cincinnati turned the ball over, and Jana Haywood was
fouled on the possession.
She netted two free throws to give SLU its second lead of the
game.
From that point on, the Billikens and the Bearcats traded points
and control of the game, rarely creating a margin of more than a
few points. In the final moments of the game, Lewis tied the game
at 57, but UC’s Micah Harvey drew a foul and sank two free throws
to push Cincy ahead, and Merrill hit a pair of charity tosses to
give Cincinnati a four-point lead with only a few ticks left on the
clock.
foul, and Smith tried to ignite a rally when she drove down the
entire length of the court and hit a three to close the gap to
63-60 with 14 seconds remaining.
King made another free throw for Cincinnati, which was answered
by a Smith lay-up, but SLU’s luck ran out when Merrill sealed the
game by hitting two free throws in the last second of the game,
which gave the Bearcats the win.
The Billikens look to rebound from their slow Conference USA
start and snap a recent losing streak when the University of South
Florida Bulls visit the Bauman-Eberhardt Athletic Center on Friday
night at 7 p.m.
The weekend of C-USA action will close with a 2 p.m. tilt with
the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers on Sunday.
Friday night’s match up will snap an 0-4 C-USA losing streak for
either the Billikens or the Bulls, as both come into the game
without a league win under their belts. SLU has won the last five
straight against USF and has a perfect record against the Bulls at
home.
South Florida is coming off a hard 84-74 loss to No. 17 DePaul
University and shot 50 percent against the Blue Demons.
All of South Florida’s losses in C-USA action have been to teams
sitting at the top of the league and have been by margins of at
least eight points.
UAB has a slightly better record than the Billikens, with a 7-10
overall start to the season and 1-3 record in league play.
Traditionally, the Billikens have struggled with the Blazers and
have won four of the two teams’ 18 meetings, including the last
two. The Blazers will look to continue their hot streak on the road
after handing Marquette its first loss in C-USA play this season
over the weekend.
The game snapped UAB’s four game losing streak, including losses
to two C-USA giants: the East Carolina Panthers and the
UNC-Charlotte 49ers.
After this weekend’s tilts, the Billikens have just six games
left to right their ship.
They come home for a two-game homestand, hosting East Carolina
and Charlotte. Then they are back on the road again with matches
against Marquette and DePaul. Finally, they end the season in
peculiar fashion, by first hosting the Memphis Tigers, then a week
later traveling down to Memphis for a rematch with those very same
Tigers.
C-USA Homestand
Who: South Florida Bulls
When: Tomorrow, 7 p.m.
Where: Bauman-Eberhardt Center
