Aysha Jones scored a season-high 18 points in the 49ers 62-56 win over Saint Louis. |
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49ers Defeated Saint Louis, 62-56, To Remain Undefeated In The A-10
Jan. 19, 2008
Charlotte, NC - Behind a season-high 18 points from Aysha Jones, the Charlotte 49ers (12-7; A-10: 3-0) defeated the Saint Louis Billikens (7-11; A-10: 2-1), 62-56, Saturday evening at Halton Arena. With the win, the 49ers remained the only undefeated team in Atlantic 10 conference play.
"We played really good basketball for the final five minutes of the first half," Charlotte coach Karen Aston said. "We came out of halftime and relaxed a bit. You have to give Saint Louis credit they are a good team. However, we made some big plays down the stretch to win the game."
Jones was joined in double-digit scoring by Traci Ray, who posted 15 points, including two-for-four from behind the arc, and Danielle Burgin with 12 points. Sabrina Gregory grabbed a team-high eight rebounds to go along with eight points.
"Aysha Jones really played well tonight," Aston said. "She really showed our fans tonight how she is capable of playing offensively."
After falling behind 6-1 in the first three minutes of the contest, Charlotte scored eight of the next 10 points to take the lead for good, 9-8, at the 12:56 mark, as Gregory successfully tipped in a missed Burgin shot.
Gregory, with a basket and assist, along with Jones and Ray, each sinking a three-point attempt, led the 49ers in the next six minutes, allowing Charlotte to build an eight-point lead at 21-13 with 6:18 left in the first half.
The 49ers would push their advantage to as high as 12 points in the first half after Burgin hit a free throw after a Saint Louis turnover at the 1:33 mark.
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The 49ers took an 11 point lead to the locker room, 37-26, after Ray connected on a jump shot with ten seconds left in the half.
Despite Charlotte maintaining the lead for the entire second half, Saint Louis would go on a 14-5 run late in the second half, pulling within one point, 55-54, at the 4:07 mark off a Katie Paganelli layup.
The 49ers answered the Saint Louis run when Burgin scored on a layup followed by a Ray three-point field goal just in front of the 49ers bench pushing Charlotte's lead to six points, 60-54, with 2:56 left in regulation.
Saint Louis would cut the 49ers lead to five points on Theresa Lisch's layup at the 1:45 mark but that would be as close as the Billikens would get to the 49ers. Ray knocked down a free throw with 18 seconds left making the final score, 62-56.
The 49ers return to action Tuesday, January 22 when they take on Atlantic 10 foe Dayton on the road at 7 p.m.
