Jan. 2, 2007

Box Score | Post Game Notes

CINCINNATI - Freshman forward Amber Harris poured in a game-high 24 points and senior forward Joei Clyburn notched her first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Xavier University women's basketball team past Pennsylvania, 72-51, on Tuesday evening at Cintas Center. With the win, Xavier improves to 10-4 while Penn slips to 4-7.

The win also runs XU's streak of home games without consecutive losses to 40 games.

Senior forward Michele Miller scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and pulled down five rebounds. The Musketeers are now 26-5 all-time in games that Miller scores at least 10 points. Classmate Suntana Granderson chipped in with 10 points and was one shy of a career high with seven boards. Granderson did record a career best with three blocked shots.

The Musketeers trailed for the majority of the first half and trailed 38-35 with 17:30 left in regulation after Joey Rhoads drained her second 3-pointer of the game.

However, XU seized control of the game with a decisive 18-0 run over the next 6:10 and sprinted out to a 53-38 lead at the 11:10 mark. The run was keyed by six points from Harris and was capped by a pair of DeAnna Mason free throws.

Penn kept things interesting and closed to within eight points, 56-48, after a 10-3 run that concluded at the 6:50 mark. XU would ice the game with a Miranda Green driving lay-up and a Granderson old-fashioned 3-point play on the next two possessions.

Xavier won the battle of the boards 45-to-31 and held a 29-to-17 advantage on the defensive glass. XU was uncharacteristically careless with the ball, committing 20 turnovers on the night. Xavier did force the Quakers into 20 turnovers and held a 20-15 edge in points off turnovers.

The Musketeers were off to the races on Tuesday, holding an 11-0 advantage on the fast break.

The early stages of the first half was a back-and-forth grind, featuring a pair of ties and five lead changes in the first 4:30. Penn would wrestle control of the game though and took a 29-19 lead at the six-minute mark on the strength of a 9-1 run, which was capped by a Monica Naltner jumper.

XU would tighten up defensively though, allowing only one Penn field goal for the remainder of the first session. XU would take advantage of the Quaker drought, sprinting out to a 14-4 run over the final 5:50 of the first stanza and knotted up the score, 33-33, at intermission.

The Musketeers will return to action on Sunday, January 7 when the team takes on North Carolina State. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Cintas Center and the contest will be broadcast live via tape delay on ICRC-TV. Broadcast times will be announced later in the week.