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CINCINNATI, Ohio – Morehead State junior Linda Dixon recorded her first double-double of the season with a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, but host Xavier used a late push to edge the visiting Eagles, 71-66, at the Cintas Center Tuesday night.
MSU also got a season-high 16 points from sophomore guard Allie Turner and 16 from senior point guard Courtney Lumpkin, but the Eagles fell to 2-7 on the season. Xavier moved to 3-4.
“That is game we definitely should have won,” said MSU head coach Tom Hodges. “I saw some signs of the team coming together, but that is game we let get away. The effort was tremendous but I think that was the first game I can contribute to lack of experience and some freshmen mistakes. But, overall I am very pleased with our young ladies.”
Xavier had just seven available players dressed for the game and five reached double figures, led by Amber Gray and Jessica Pachko with 14. Pachko grabbed a game-best 15 rebounds as well as the Musketeers out-boarded MSU 40-33.
The Eagles led 54-50 with 9:47 left following a three-pointer by Turner, but Xavier went on a 10-2 run to grab a 60-56 advantage it never relinquished. An Ashar Harris layup brought MSU back to within 62-61 with 4:27 left, but that’s as close as MSU got. Xavier pushed out to a 71-61 lead before the Eagles registered the final five.
MSU kept it close in the first half too. In fact, the Eagles raced out to a 15-7 lead in the first seven minutes on the strength of a pair of triples from Dixon and Turner. Xavier responded though with a 9-0 run to take its first lead at 16-15. The Musketeers went to the locker room holding just a 34-33 advantage.
The hosts finished with a 46-25 advantage on points in the paint, but the Eagles held a 10-point cushion in points via turnovers. MSU had just 12 mistakes and forced 17 Xavier miscues.
MSU freshman Whitney Kyle totaled a career-high four assists, while freshman Natalie Greenwell notched a career-best three steals.
The Eagles hit nine three-pointers but were only 4-of-16 in the second half. The Musketeers shot 54 percent (28-of-52) for the game, while MSU hit 36 percent (22-of-61).
MSU travels to Pittsburgh, Pa., next to face the Duquesne Dukes on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
