Which is the real Xavier Prep basketball team?
Is it the one that fell behind host Phoenix Horizon by 10
points in the first quarter on Friday night (Jan. 8), the one that rallied to
lead by eight in the third quarter, or the one that couldn’t hold that lead and
fell to the Huskies 54-44?
The choice probably is all of the above. You never seem to
know from game to game.
The Gators continue to struggle to maintain their
consistency.
XCP warmed up after a cold spell in the opening quarter to
take a 23-21 lead at halftime as senior forward Vanessa Murphy scored eight
points, including a pair of three-pointers. The team also received a spark from
sophomore forward Montana Oltrogge, who was playing in her first game since
having to sit out much of last season with a knee injury.
Xavier (10-6) had a 34-26 lead with 1:38 left in the third
on two free throws by Murphy, but Horizon (7-6) went on a 7-0 run in the final
moments to trail by just one going into the fourth.
The Gators were careless with their passes and coach Stephen
Moss told the team during the break that “we are killing ourselves.’’
In the fourth, Horizon point guard and captain Leah Goodman
went to work.
The Gators could not stop the 5-foot-2 senior. She scored 13
of her game-high 25 points in the fourth, three more than Xavier did as a team.
Xavier has not had a home game since Dec. 14, but will have
two this coming week, against Gilbert Perry on Tuesday (Jan. 12) and Gilbert
High on Thursday (Jan. 14).
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