Women's Basketball Edged by Kansas, 62-60
Jan. 4, 2008
Sophomore forward Maureen Hester was outstanding, scoring a career-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting. She was the only Musketeer in double-figures though as three of her teammates scored eight points. Freshman center Ta'Shia Phillips grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, marking the 11th time she has hauled in double-digit rebounds this year. Sophomore forward Amber Harris scored seven points and snared seven rebounds while tying a season high with five blocked shots. Xavier trailed by three points, 37-34, with 16-minutes to go but mounted a 15-3 run over the next 5:10 to seize a commanding 49-40 edge with 10:50 to go. The run was sparked by a pair of 3-pointers from freshman Special Jennings, who finished with eight points and six assists. The two sides traded baskets for the next few minutes and Xavier held a 55-48 advantage at 6:40 after Hester converted on a driving lay-up. However, XU would go cold and KU took advantage to the tune of a 15-4 run over the next 6:20 and built a 60-57 edge with 20-seconds to go. Junior guard Jerri Taylor would get two good looks at potential equalizers but both shots clanged rudely off the iron and KU iced the contest with a couple of Taylor McIntosh free throws. Xavier shot 41.1 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent (7-of-14) from deep. XU also held a 36-to-35 rebounding edge but KU scored 17 opportunistic points off 16 Xavier turnovers. Xavier started slowly and fell behind by a 9-0 score after Krysten Boogaard hit a lay-up at the 16:21 mark. The Musketeers would respond though and sprinted out to a 10-0, capturing a 10-9 lead with 12-minutes remaining in the first half. The run was jump-started by a Ta'Shia Phillips old-fashioned 3-point play and capped an April Phillips lay-up in traffic.
|
