Dec. 28, 2008
Box Score
RADFORD, Va. - The American University women's
basketball team outscored Radford 43-22 in the second half en route
to a 68-45 win at Peters Hall on Sunday in non-conference action.
The Eagles shot 51 percent from the floor, while holding the
Highlanders to just 29.1 percent.
Michelle
Kirk led the Eagles to a 9-2 run to open the second half,
scoring seven points, to open up a 34-25 margin with 17:38 to play
in the game. Radford called a time-out to attempt to cool the
American offense and forced AU to commit back-to-back turnovers,
and rattled off five straight points to trim the deficit to 34-30.
American (8-4) went on to score the next six points, on four Liz Leer points and
a Kristin
Coles drive, to build a 10 point advantage over Radford with
just under 12 minutes remaining. Nicole Ryan gave the
Eagles their largest lead at 4:50, when she hit five straight
points, giving AU a 16-point (57-41) lead. The Highlanders were
never able to make a run down the stretch and the Eagles claimed
the 68-45 win.
Radford jumped out to a 14-8 lead midway through the first half,
led by a pair of three-point baskets by point guard Taleia Moton.
Lisa Strack
was able to convert a steal into a lay-in to pull the Eagles within
four and following a defensive stop, Kirk tallied in the paint and
AU trailed 14-12 at the 8:20 mark.
The Eagles pulled within one on a Kirk free throw and again
following a Liz
Leer basket, but could not score following a defensive stop and
trailed 20-19. American finally claimed its first lead of the game,
going up 22-20, with 1:49 left in the half on a Kirk three-pointer
that beat the shot clock, forcing the Highlanders to call a
timeout.
Radford(1-10) was unable to score out of the 30 second break and
Leer hit her fourth bucket of the half, but was answered on the
ensuing possession by a Johnette Walker trey to cut the lead to
one. Talicia
Jackson hit the back end of a pair of free throws in the final
half minute of play and the Eagles took a 25-23 lead into the
intermission. American held Radford to just 29.6 percent (8-27)
shooting from the field in the half, while converting 50 percent
(10-20) of its shots. The Eagles also held a drastic edge in
rebounding (22-8) but committed 17 turnovers, allowing the
Highlanders to stay in the game.
Kirk and Leer led the Eagles in scoring, each putting up 17
points, while grabbing six and seven rebounds, respectively. Talicia
Jackson led all players with eight rebounds and Pam Stanfield had a
game-high four assists. Twelve Eagles figured into the score column
with eight seeing over 10 minutes of action.
Moton led the Highlanders with 17 points, while Vandy Pullen
picked up 10 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The Eagles will return to the court at Virginia Commonwealth
(8-2) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
