CINCINNATI, OH --- Senior center Victoria Gonzales and junior forward Sydni Johnson combined for 30 points and 12 rebounds to pace Howard women's basketball in a 70-47 non-conference loss to the Xavier University Musketeers Saturday evening at the Cintas Center.

The leading duo for the Bison (2-11) each scored 15 points to log their tenth game of matching double-digit performances this season and eighth in a row. It was also the second time that the duo matched each other's point totals in a contest.

Gonzales was one rebound away of her sixth double-double of the year while also adding a pair of steals and swatting a career-high five blocks for the fourth time in her Bison tenure.

With tonight's scoring output, Gonzales now sits at 949 career points - 51 shy of the 1,000 point plateau.

Johnson reached her total on 4-of-9 shooting (.444), marking the seventh time in 13 games that she has shot at least 40 percent from the field.

Senior guard Allese Morrison contributed with eight second-quarter points to go along with team highs of four assists and four steals.

Despite the positives, Howard never held a lead against Xavier (8-2), fell behind by double figures late in the first quarter and could not trim its deficit below nine points after the 7:58 mark of the second period.

NEXT UP
Howard will close out 2015 with a road contest against Syracuse University on Wednesday, December 30 at 7 p.m.