Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score

ST. LOUIS - Katie Paganelli scored 21 points and Theresa Lisch added 19, and Saint Louis overcame an early second-half flurry by Massachusetts to defeat the Minutewomen 71-65 Saturday at the Bauman-Eberhardt Center.

Paganelli's 8-of-12 shooting effort included 2-of-2 from 3-point range. Lisch was 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 8-of-9 from the foul line, including four free throws in the final 18 seconds to secure the win that snapped the Billikens' two-game skid.

Heather King tallied a season-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added six rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. King scored 10 points in the first half to power SLU (10-15, 5-5 Atlantic 10) to a 32-25 halftime lead. Her final two points with 1:21 left in the game put Saint Louis ahead for good, 67-65.

UMass (11-14, 3-7 A-10) began the second half with a 15-2 outburst that gave the Minutewomen a 40-34 advantage at the 15:29 mark. Pam Rosanio scored eight of her game-high 24 points during the run, including a pair of conventional 3-point plays.

The Bills regained the lead with a 9-2 run. Paganelli scored five of the nine points, including the bucket that put the Bills back in front, 43-42, with 12:15 remaining.

Seven lead changes and five ties followed that Saint Louis surge, with neither team able to grab a lead larger than four points. Following two Maggie Hennegan free throws that gave the Billikens a 63-61 edge with 4:11 to play, UMass regained the lead on baskets by Teya Wright and Kate Mills.

Paganelli tied it again with a layup, then collected the rebound when Mills misfired on a 3-point attempt. Lisch found King open on the Bills' next possession for what turned out to be the game-winning shot.

After the teams traded turnovers, Mills was whistled for a charge while driving to the basket. The Billikens missed a shot on the ensuing possession after working the shot clock inside five seconds, but King secured the offensive rebound and Lisch took care of the rest from the stripe.

UMass scored the first four points of the game and led 9-7 following a Mills 3-pointer. Lisch and Paganelli each hit a triple in a 10-2 surge that gave Saint Louis a 17-11 lead with 8:41 left, and the Bills maintained the advantage the rest of the opening period.

Hennegan had six rebounds to tie King for the Saint Louis lead. Hayley Leake collected five assists, while Lisch and Lauren Woods tallied four assists apiece. The Billikens finished at 47 percent from the field following a 54-percent effort in the second half, and they connected on 18-of-22 (82 percent) from the free-throw line.

Mills scored 15 points and Alisha Tatham added 14 for UMass, which shot 59 percent in the second half and finished at 50 percent for the game. Wright had a game-high eight rebounds to lead the Minutewomen to a 31-26 edge on the boards, while Rosanio, Mills and Sakera Young registered five assists apiece.

Saint Louis travels to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to challenge A-10 leader and 13th-ranked George Washington. Tipoff is 6 p.m. (CT).