March 7, 2009

Championship Central - Charlotte, N.C.

No. 3 Charlotte 81, No. 6 Duquesne 57
Game Eight Box Score | Photos | Charlotte Post-game Press Conference

A balanced attack in which five different players scored in double-figures helped propel third-seeded Charlotte over sixth-seeded Duquesne, 81-57.

Senior Traci Ray led the 49ers (21-8) in scoring, knocking down 6-of-9 from beyond the arc to finish with 20 points. Her shooting performance from long range ranked tied for second in A-10 postseason annals.

Senior Danielle Burgin and sophomore Shannon McCallum were also instrumental in the win, corralling 13 boards each and combining for 26 points.

Missed shots were rare for Charlotte in the first half as the 49ers hit 11-of-15 from the floor (73.3%). Charlotte also outscored Duquesne 30-0 from the bench and won the turnover battle, 6-17.

In the loss, Duquesne (20-11) was led by senior Kristi Little, who shot 7-for-21 for 21 points.

With the victory, the 49ers advance to the semifinals to face No. 2 Temple, with tipoff beginning at 2:30pm.

No. 2 Temple 67, No. 7 St. Bonaventure 63
Game Seven Box Score | Photos | Temple Post-game Press Conference | St. Bonaventure Post-game Press Conference

Junior LaKeisha Eaddy scored a game-high 26 points on a stellar 9-of-13 from the floor to lead second-seeded Temple to a 67-63 victory over seventh-seeded St. Bonaventure.

The Owls (21-8) quelled several scoring runs by the Bonnies, who cut a 13-point second half Temple lead down to three. In the end, Eaddy's dominating play proved too much as she created plays on both ends of the floor with five steals to go with five assists in the win.

Sophomore Shaqwedia Wallace and junior Jasmine Stone each contributed 12 points for the Owls, while St. Bonaventure (21-10) was led by junior Dana Mitchell's 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

No. 4 Richmond 64, No. 12 Rhode Island 48
Game Six Box Score | Photos | Richmond Post-game Press Conference

Senior Johanna McKnight and sophomore Brittani Shells each turned in 15-point performances as fourth-seeded Richmond (22-8) ended the season of 12th-seed Rhode Island (10-21), 64-48.

The Spiders grabbed the lead early in the first half and wouldn't relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest. Richmond also received quality production off the bench, outscoring the Rams 23-9.

McKnight finished 4-for-6 from the field and hit all seven free throws, while Shells converted six of her 13 shots from the floor and 1-for-2 from beyond the arc.

With the victory, Richmond advances to the semifinals for the first time since 2005. The Spiders are scheduled to square off against eight-seeded Dayton, with tipoff slated for 12:00pm.

No. 8 Dayton 63, No. 1 Xavier 60
Game Five Box Score | Photos | Dayton Post-game Press Conference | Xavier Post-game Press Conference

Junior Kendal Ross grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 12 points to lead Dayton past top-seeded Xavier in a thrilling 63-60 overtime victory.

The Musketeers (25-6) battled back from a six-point Flyer lead with 1:42 to play in regulation, but couldn't overcome the six-for-eight, 19-point performance from Dayton freshman De'Sarae Chambers. Chambers also connected on four of her six shots from beyond the arc.

The eighth-seeded Flyer victory tied the biggest upset in terms of seeding in the history of the league and marks the second time that a No. 8 team has toppled the top seed in the quarterfinals.

"It shows the strength of our Conference," said Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade about Dayton's upset victory.

The Flyers (20-12) overcame a brilliant 12-point, 19-rebound performance from 2009 Player of the Year senior Ta'Shia Phillips. Her rebound total was the third-most in Atlantic 10 postseason history.