LaTonya McDole leads Wildcats with 24 points.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 31, 1999) — Xavier’s Katie Hotz nailed afree throw with one second remaining on the clockto defeat Kentucky 68-67 in Memorial Coliseumon Friday.
The Wildcats (7-4) saw the Musketeers (10-2)score five straight points to open the second halfand take an eight-point lead, the largest of thegame. UK climbed back to tie the game at 65 withonly 18 seconds to go. A three-quarter courtinbounds pass by Xavier’s Nicole Levandusky toHotz, led to a lay-up for a two-point lead, 67-65.
After a missed Erica Jackson shot and an Xaviertime-out, Tiffany Wait stole the inbounds pass,dishing it off to LaTonya McDole who was fouledwith only two ticks on the clock. McDole hit bothfree throws, tying the game at 67. After anotherlong inbounds pass by the Musketeers, Holz wasfouled with less than a second left in the game. Shemissed the first of two foul shots, but nailed thesecond to seal the win. Jackson’s final attempt atthe buzzer fell short.
“I felt we played good enough to win but we gaveup way too many offensive rebounds,” UK CoachBernadette Mattox said. “Xavier is too good of ashooting team and you just give them secondchances at a shot. I was pleased with how we hungin the game at the end because we hustled. Wedidn’t hang our heads when we got down, wefought and we got back in the game.”
Kentucky was outrebounded 46-36, including a28-16 deficit on the offensive board. The Cats shot 39.4 percent (28-71)from the floor compared to Xavier’s 42.1 percent (24-57) and a season-low8.33 percent (1-12) from three-point land. The Musketeers, who led thenation last season in three-point percent shooting, charted 31.3 percent frombehind the arc with 5-of-16.
McDole led the Cats in scoring for the third consecutive game with acareer-high 24 points and a season-high five steals. Senior center ShantiaOwens, who played most of the game in foul trouble, collected her thirdconsecutive double-double with 17 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the floor,while pulling down 17 rebounds to tie her career-high. Xavier was led byHolz and Levandusky both scoring 18. Levandusky also pulled down ateam-high 10 rebounds.
“I think the key was the first couple minutes in the game and our kids cameout confident,” Xavier Coach Melanie Balcomb said. “I was surprised withthe ending. McDole hit two big free throws and I told our players the onlything we could do was go deep again. Kim (Holz) beat them down the floorthree times, so we had to go with what worked. It has worked all year forus.”
UK finished the ’90s with a 150-129 overall record and return to actionMonday, Jan., 3 to face Winthrop in the first game of the new millenium.Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum.
