Ta’Shia Phillips’ double-double led the Xavier women’s basketball team over South Carolina, 84-65, on Friday night in USC’s Colonial Life Arena.
Amber Harris led all scorers with 21 points for the Musketeers, while Tyeasha Moss added 17 of her own. Phillips contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds in XU’s first win of the season.
The Musketeers dominated from the opening tip, as they rolled to a 45-29 halftime lead. The Gamecocks could not squander the lead to single digits, with their closest second-half deficit coming at 13 points with 18 minutes, three seconds left in the game.
USC received solid production from La’Keisha Sutton, who led the way with 19 points. Ashley Bruner grabbed 15 boards along with 12 points for the double-double.
The Musketeers survived a five-minute scoring drought midway through the second half, thanks to a strong defensive effort that only allowed the Gamecocks to close within 17 points during that stretch.
The win betters XU’s season opener record to 27-13, including a 12-8 mark in season openers on the road.
Xavier (1-0) travels to Michigan for a Monday night tip-off while South Carolina (0-1) hosts Illinois.
URI grabs first win of season
Lara Gaspar and Sherrie Session each contributed double-doubles for the Rams, as Rhode Island defeated Colgate, 59-47, in their season opener on Saturday.
Gaspar finished the game with 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Sessions chipped in 10 points and a career-high 10 rebounds of her own.
Senior Megan Shoniker led all scorers with 18 points, while freshman Kerry Wallack threw in five points and grabbed eight rebounds in her debut.
The Rams jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, holding the Raiders without a basket through the first six minutes of play.
After Rhode Island increased their lead to 10, Colgate went on a 13-5 run, cutting the lead to two with five minutes remaining in the first half.
The Blue and White responded with nine unanswered points, giving them an 11-point advantage with two minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the back-and-forth first half.
The Raiders closed the margin, again, to a three-point deficit, after an 11-3 push to close out the half.
That’s as close as it would get.
Wallack cashed in on a three-pointer, set up by an Ajanae Boone steal, to help push the lead back to double-digits, 46-36.
Jhazmine Lynch led the Colgate offense with 18 points, while Krista Moser and Tricia Oakes grabbed 12 and 11 rebounds respectively.
URI (1-0) tips off in Providence on Wednesday and the Raiders (0-1) travel to Siena on Monday.
Charlotte handles Iona
Shannon McCallum’s 21 points led Charlotte to its first win of the season, stomping Iona, 72-40, on Saturday.
The 49ers dominated start to finish. Trailing 2-0 early in the first half, they reeled off a 13-0 run over the next four minutes of play, seizing momentum and taking control of the entire contest.
Charlotte’s high energy level was noticeable on the defensive end, tallying 16 steals, which led to 31 points.
Their relentless effort and hustle throughout the game produced an 18-8 advantage in second chance points and fast break points.
Paige McCullum, Shannon’s younger sister, and Kendria Holmes each ended the game with 13 points and five steals. Amanda Dowe grabbed 10 boards and netted eight points of her own in Charlotte’s first round victory in the preseason Women’s National Invitational Tournament.
The lone bright spot for Iona came during a 10-0 run midway through the first half to cut the 49ers lead to seven. However it was short-lived, as Jessica Johnson sunk a jumper, igniting a 5-0 run for the home team to push the lead back to double-digits.
Charlotte (1-0) returns to action Monday against Florida while the Gaels (0-1) are off until Friday, when they challenge Central Florida.
Stephen Sellner can be reached at [email protected].
