The Saint Louis University women’s basketball team lost on
Friday night against USF 68-51, before finally ending their 10-game
losing streak with a win over UAB 86-74 last Sunday.
Angie Lewis led the Billikens in scoring for both games, with 19
points on Friday and 30 points on Sunday, tying her career
high.
This was the first Conference USA win for the Bulls. The game
was close in the first nine minutes, but the Bulls were able to
pull away with a 9-1 run, with a 20-11 lead. The Bulls reached a
lead of 10, then a three pointer put the Billikens down by only
seven at the half, 27-20.
The Bulls came out of the locker room and proceeded to open the
second half on a 17-4 run during the first eight minutes. USF would
extend its lead to 22 points, several times, while shooting 58
percent (18-31) from the field during the second half.
The Billikens cut the deficit to 46-32, with just under 10
minutes to go. However, the Bulls answered with eight straight
points, to push their lead back to 54-32; and they went on to earn
their first C-USA win of the season, 68-51.
Lewis led the Billikens with 19 points, and Kirsti Holloway
added 10 points of her own. The Bulls took full advantage of 21 SLU
turnovers, scoring 21 points off the mistakes.
The Billikens were finally able to come up with their first
conference win on Sunday, Jan. 25 against UAB. Lewis led the team
with 30 points, tying her career high. She also contributed nine
rebounds to the win and led four different Billikens who scored in
double figures.
The game seesawed back and forth from the onset. With only a few
minutes left in the first half the Bills and the Blazers were tied,
26-26.
However, thanks to some great combination passing and a couple
of opportune rebounds, the Bills closed the half on an 8-3 run,
ending the half with a 34-29 lead.
Even with the late scoring surge at the end of the first half,
the Billikens started the second half a bit slow, and the Blazers
capitalized, quickly tying the contest less than one minute into
the half.
However, after the brief Blazer scoring spree, the Billikens’
defense solidified and held the Blazers in check until, with 16
minutes left in the game, the Bills went on another 10-2, run to
gain control over Blazers and take a commanding lead, 44-36. Again,
as it had the whole game, though, the scales tipped the other
direction and the Blazers narrowed the Bills’ lead to three.
Lewis, at this point, decided to take the lead for the Bills and
scored nine straight points for the Billikens. Yanique Javois and
Kirsti Holloway also each scored a basket for the Bills, extending
the Billiken lead to 63-53.
The Billikens went on one final 8-0 run to close out the Blazers
with four minutes, thus clinching their first conference win of the
season and ending their prolonged losing streak.
The Billikens are next in action this Saturday, down in
Hattiesburg, Miss., against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagles started out the season hot, winning their
first 10, but they have since cooled off and now stand at 13-5
overall, with a 1-4 conference record. Last season, the Billikens
and Golden Eagles squared off in a defensive struggle from which
the Billikens emerged victorious, edging the Eagles 44-42.
From there, the Billikens will head to Tulane for a duel on
Monday evening in the Big Easy.
Tulane, much like the Billikens, have struggled throughout the
conference season and have yet to get their first victory in
Conference USA play, starting out 0-5.
The Billikens return home the following weekend, to host a pair
of games against East Carolina and Charlotte respectively.
Both ECU and Charlotte should be formidable opponents,
especially ECU who are undefeated in conference play and boast a
talented array of scorers.
