19th-Ranked Louisville Defeats Xavier 63-59 on the Road
November 30, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 30, 2006
Cincinnati, Ohio - The University of Louisville women's basketball team improved to 7-0 after defeating Xavier 63-59 Thursday evening in the Cintas Center. Three Cardinals scored in double figures, sophomore Angel McCoughtry recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Brandie Radde finished with 12 points and Jazz Covington finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Amber Harris led Xavier with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
There were nine lead changes in the first half. Xavier built their largest lead of the game at 26-21 with 4:13 remaining in the half. The Cardinals then went on a 12-1 run capped off by back-to-back three-pointers from Courtney Simmons and Radde. The Cardinals held the Muskateers without a field goal the final four minutes of the first half to go into the lockerroom with a 33-27 lead.
Louisville finished the first half shooting just 36.8 percent from the field and 30 percent from behind the arc while holding Xavier to just 22 percent from the field and 12.5 percent from behind the arc. The Cardinals held a 29-28 rebounding edge at the break.
The Cardinals built an 11-point lead at the 14:33 mark of the second half after McCoughtry connected on two foul shots. Louisville kept Xavier at bay and led 50-39 at the 10:59 mark until Xavier went on an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 50-47 at the 9:34 mark. McCoughtry scored a layup on the next possession . Xavier tied it again when Joei Clyburn connected on a layup but the Cardinals scored on the next two possessions to build a 57-53 lead with 4:50 remaining.
Harris made a fade away jump shot and Jeri Taylor made a steal and a layup to knot the game at 57 with 2:58 remaining. McCoughtry scored on a jumper and grabbed a defensive rebound that led to a Yuliya Tokova layup for a 61-57 lead with just under two minutes remaining. Harris connected on another jump shot to get the Muskateers within two with 56 seconds remaining. It was Patrika Barlow's two clutch free throws with 14 seconds remaining that sealed the Cardinal victory.
Louisville finished the game shooting 34.7 percent from the field, a season low, while Xavier shot just 28.6 percent from the field. The Cardinals finished the game with a 60-45 rebounding edge.
The Cardinals will return to the friend confines of Freedom Hall as they take in-state rival No. 24 Kentucky Sunday, Dec. 3 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
