Women's basketball wins in exhibition

After a summer full of practices and scrimmages, Xavier women's basketball head coach Amy Waugh is ready for the season to officially start.

The women begin their season Saturday when they host Eastern Kentucky University at 2 p.m. at Cintas Center. The Musketeers are looking to win their fourth consecutive Atlantic 10 regular season title.

In preparation for the upcoming season, the women held an exhibition game this weekend with the University of Indianapolis. Xavier defeated the Greyhounds 58-41 with strong performances from junior Jessica Pachko and senior Tyeasha Moss.

Pachko recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Moss, the lone returning starter from last season, had six assists while scoring nine points.

The Musketeers' defense was strong, holding Indianapolis to only 21 percent shooting. The women dominated the glass, pulling down 53 rebounds to the Greyhounds' 29.

Waugh was most impressed with the defensive performance of the team.

"We did some things well, but most importantly, we played extremely hard on the defensive end," Waugh said. "It is something I see her doing quite often [this season]," Waugh said.

The Musketeers hope to continue this success when they face the Eastern Kentucky Lady Colonels.

Xavier defeated EKU 82-49 in 2005, the last time these two schools played each other. The Lady Colonels return three starters from their 6-21 team last season. Eastern Kentucky, led by fourth-year head coach Chrissy Roberts, will be a different team when they play Saturday. Nine of the 14 players on EKU's roster this season are newcomers.

Among the five returning players is junior Alex Jones, who was a second team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection. Junior Brittany Coles, another starter from last year's squad, connected on 37 percent of her three-pointers last season.

Despite a weak record last season from the Lady Colonels, Waugh expects a prepared EKU team.

"They are hungry to improve this season, and it's their season opener as well, so they'll be ready," Waugh said.

The season opener will also mark Waugh's first official game as head coach at Xavier. "It was great to be on the sideline last weekend, and I'm looking forward to opening the season this Saturday," Waugh said.

Following the Eastern Kentucky game, the Musketeers travel to Starkville, Miss. to face the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs on Monday.

The upcoming schedule for Xavier will be challenging, but Waugh knows the team will be ready for each game and will improve as the season progresses.