Dec. 10, 2005

Box Score

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior guard Michele Miller matched a career high with 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds but it was not enough as the Xavier University women's basketball team dropped a 78-64 decision at Louisville on Saturday evening at Freedom Hall. With the loss XU slips to 6-2 on the season while UL improves to 5-1.

Helen Johnson led four Cardinals in double-figures with 22 points.

Miller's 21 came on 8-of-15 shooting and 3-of-6 from deep. Candyce Bingham and Suntana Granderson chipped in with 11 and 12 points respectively.

Tara Boothe scored eight points and hauled in a season-high 10 rebounds.

Xavier trailed 34-20 late in the second half, but mounted an 8-2 spurt to end the half and went into the locker room trailing 36-31.

Louisville stormed out of the gate to start the second half and led by as many as 11 points on three occasions in the second stanza. The Cards built their lead to 13 points, 58-45, with 11:10 left in the second half but XU would make one last charge.

A Granderson 3-pointer drew XU to within four points, 60-56, with 7:50 to go but the Cardinals went on a 10-2 run to put the game away.

XU shot only 36.7 percent from the floor while Louisville shot a sizzling 51.9 percent.

The Musketeers stumbled out of the gate and trailed 4-0 at 18:50 after Jazz Covington scored on a pair of lay-ups. The XU offense woke up though as the team took its first lead of the game, 7-6, at the 16-minute mark on a Miranda Green free throw.

Bingham extended the Xavier lead to five points, 15-10, when she converted on a lay-up with 11:30 left in the first stanza.

The Cardinals would answer though, tying the game up at 19-all with 9:30 to go in the first half on a Patrika Barlow jumper. Barlow's basket represented the third and fourth points of a 19-1 UL run that gave the Cards a commanding 34-20 lead at the 2:50 mark.

Xavier would answer though, sprinting out to an 8-0 run over the next 2:20 and went into the locker room trailing 36-31. Bingham sparked the Xavier run with a pair of 3-pointers.

The Musketeers return to the hardwood on Saturday, December 17 when they take on IPFW. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. at Cintas Center.