Feb. 9, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

CINCINNATI - Sophomore forward Amber Harris scored a game-high 20 points including 12 in the second half to lead the Xavier University women's basketball team to a 64-55 over the visiting Temple Owls on Saturday evening at Cintas Center in Cincinnati. XU improves to 17-6 overall with the win including a 7-1 mark in Atlantic 10 Conference play while Temple falls to 14-11 overall and 7-2 in A-10 action.

The XU win also marks the 100th victory in XU history at Cintas Center. Xavier is now 100-26 (.794) in its eighth year in the on-campus home.

Harris, who scored at least 20-points for the third-straight time, was 9-of-16 from the floor and also added seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Harris now has extended her school-record to 200-career blocked shots.

Junior guard Jerri Taylor scored 11 points and was 5-of-9 from the field. Junior forward Tudy Reed was the third Musketeer in double-figures with 10 points. She also snared five rebounds and dropped a pair of dimes.

Freshman point guard Special Jennings nailed some clutch free throws down the stretch and finished the game with nine points and three assists.

Xavier trailed 39-37 with 10:06 to play in the second half until junior guard Tudy Reed connected on a pair of free throws to tie the game at 39-all. Harris then converted on a lay-up in traffic to give the Musketeers the lead for good at 41-39. The Harris lay-up was part of a game-changing 19-4 run over an eight minute stretch to take its largest lead of the game at 52-42 with 5:20 to go in the game.

The run was keyed by Harris as she scored eight points during the decisive stretch and dominated the paint along with Ta'Shia Phillips.

Temple would close to five points at the two-minute mark but Jennings iced the contest by connecting on all four of her attempts from the free throw line down the stretch.

Xavier was out of sorts offensively in the first half but made a few adjustments at the break and shots a blistering 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the floor in the second session. XU, which leads the league in rebounding margin, out-rebounded the rugged Owls frontline 36-to-27 on the night. Xavier also controlled the paint to the tune of a 38-24 scoring advantage down low.

The Musketeers stormed out of the gate and took a 7-0 lead after a pair of lay-ups from Harris and a 3-pointer by Taylor just 1:40 into the contest.

XU would go cold though and battled through field goal droughts of 5:20 and 4:30, allowing the Owls to take a 30-24 lead with 40-seconds remaining in the first half. April Phillips' driving lay-up with five-seconds to go pulled XU within four points, 30-26, at the break.

The Musketeers are back in action on Thursday, February 14 when the team travels up I-75 to take on Dayton. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at UD Arena.