Jan. 31, 2009

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - Theresa Lisch, Amanda Kemezys and Lauren Woods combined for 48 points, and Saint Louis survived Massachusetts' second-half comeback charge to register a 70-67 Atlantic 10 Conference victory over the Minutewomen Saturday at the Mullins Center.

Saint Louis (10-11, 4-2 A-10), which won for a sixth time in eight outings, matched last season's overall victory total and became the first Billiken women's basketball team to win at least four of its first six conference games. The victory also was the Bills' fourth road triumph of the season, eclipsing last year's total of three. UMass slipped to 8-13 overall and 1-5 with its fifth consecutive defeat.

Lisch, the A-10 scoring leader with 20.8 ppg, paced SLU with 21 points and moved into ninth place on the Billikens' career scoring list with 1,225 points. She has scored at least 20 points 14 times this season, including nine of her last 11 games. Lisch's 10-of-10 effort from the foul line gave her 130 free throws made this season, breaking her own mark of 125 set during her freshman campaign. She increased her school career record to 367 charity tosses.

Kemezys scored 15 points, her eighth consecutive double-figure output, and collected a game-high eight rebounds. Woods tallied 12 points to equal her season high, Heather King chipped in eight points and six rebounds, and Alisha Goodwin made a career- and game-high three steals.

UMass entered the game No. 2 in the A-10 in 3-point field goals with 6.65 per game, but the Billiken defense limited the Minutewomen to just 4-of-18 from beyond the arc. SLU was 22-of-27 (82 percent) from the foul line, outscoring UMass 22-17 from the stripe.

UMass' Stefanie Gerardot led all players with 24 points. She netted 18 in the second half as the Minutewomen, who trailed 34-17 late in the first half and 34-25 at intermission, made it a 45-44 nailbiter with 13:24 to play in the second half.

Following a SLU timeout, Lisch came around a screen, caught a pass from Goodwin and buried a trey from the top of the key for a 48-44 Billiken advantage. That sparked an 11-1 flurry - punctuated by Kemezys' traditional 3-point play and Janisha Gearlds' trifecta on consecutive possessions - that put the Bills on top 56-45 at the 9:30 mark.

UMass gradually whittled the margin to three, 70-67, with 12 seconds to play, and the Minutewomen got the ball back following a SLU backcourt offensive foul. However, the Billiken defense forced a long 3-point attempt that fell well short of the mark.

After Gerardot scored on UMass' first two possessions for a quick 4-0 lead, the Billikens outscored the Minutewomen 34-13 to claim their largest lead of the game, 34-17, with 1:30 to play. Sakera Young tallied six points down the stretch to help UMass slice the SLU lead to 34-25 at the break.

Lisch scored 12 points in the first half and Woods added seven to lead the Bills, who shot just 36 percent from the field in the opening frame but 92 percent (12-of-13) from the free-throw line.

However, it was the Bills' first-half defense that stood out. UMass was 0-of-9 from beyond the arc in the period and just 8-of-29 (28 percent) overall. Saint Louis also forced 11 Minutewomen first-half turnovers.

The Billikens reach the midway point of the A-10 schedule Tuesday, hosting Charlotte at Chaifetz Arena. Game time is 7 p.m.