By: Adam Tortelli

Saturday night basketball in Cintas Center brought in more positive results for Xavier University as the women’s basketball team handled the Govs of Austin Peay. After a slow first half, head coach Brian Neal’s squad took control of the game as it fought its way to a 72-59 victory. The team’s hot shooting from behind the arc continued by going 10-27. With another win, the Musketeers now stand at 5-4 in non-conference play while they sent their opponents packing with a 3-5 record.

Senior guard Ashley Wanniger stole the spotlight with a career night of 25 points, shooting 8-14 from the field, which includes connecting on 5-8 shots from behind the arc. The Colerain product also added three rebounds and one assist in her memorable outing.

Sophomore guard Jenna Crittendon added to the night of career moments with her first double-double as a Musketeer by amassing an impressive 21 points and 13 rebounds. In addition to the night of remarkable stat lines, senior guard Shatyra Hawkes contributed 13 points while dishing out a game-high six assists, and sophomore guard Aliyah Zantt made her presence felt behind five points and seven rebounds.

The Musketeers got off to a hot start due to an 8-0 run led by Crittendon and Wanniger getting started. With less than seven minutes to go in the first half, Austin Peay used a 13-0 run to close out the half and take over a slim lead by a score of 30-29. Neal used the halftime break to reignite a fire in his team as it opened up the second half on a 27-5 run and more importantly a 20 point lead with only seven minutes gone that would never again come within 10.

The Musketeers are currently seventh in the Big East. The women’s basketball team is set to play again on Sunday as they travel up I-75 to take on Wright State.