Jan. 13, 2006

Box Score

CINCINNATI - Four Musketeers scored in double-figures and senior forward Tara Boothe posted her third double-double in the past four games to lead the Xavier University women's basketball team past Richmond, 72-60, on Friday afternoon at Cintas Center. With the win, XU improves to 11-4 overall and a level 2-2 in Atlantic 10 Conference action. The Spiders slip to 7-9, 2-2.

The win was XU's 19th in-a-row at home and 11th in-a-row at Cintas Center in A-10 action. Boothe's 17 points puts her 50 shy of breaking the school scoring record of 2,036.

Boothe's 17 was a game high and came on 7-of-13 shooting from the floor. She also hauled in 11 rebounds and registered four steals on the afternoon.

The game was played in front of a season-high 3,160 people as part of second annual Youth Day sponsored by Procter and Gamble.

Juniors Suntana Granderson and Miranda Green each scored 16 points. Green was 6-of-9 from the floor and dished-out four assists. Granderson was 1-of-8 from deep and 5-of-10 from everywhere else on the floor.

Senior forward Kristy Wallner was the fourth Musketeer in double-figures with 11 points. Junior guard Michele Miller scored six points, snared seven rebounds and dropped four dimes.

The Musketeers took a 32-26 lead into the locker room and Boothe scored the first five points of the second half, giving XU a 37-26 lead with 19:20 to go.

Richmond would respond though and scored the next five points to close to within in six points, 37-21, with 17:20 left in regulation.

However, Xavier answered the bell with a decisive 20-6 run to take a commanding 57-37 lead with 7:40 to go. XU scored 13-unanswered points in that stretch to put the game away.

XU shot a solid 49.1 percent from the floor but was only 4-of-20 from 3-point range. Richmond out-rebounded XU 41-to-37 but XU won the battle of the defensive glass 31-to-25.

The first 12:20 of the first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring four ties and four lead changes. Richmond guard Saona Chapman hit a 3-pointer with 7:40 remaining in the first stanza to tie the game up at 20.

XU would respond though and charged out to a 12-6 run, ending the half with a 32-26 advantage. XU's spurt was capped by a steal and fast-break lay-up by Granderson with 30-seconds to go.

Xavier will return to action on Sunday, January 15 when the team travels to our nation's capital to take on George Washington. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m. at the Smith Center.