Jan. 16, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

CINCINNATI - Freshman center Ta'Shia Phillips notched the ninth double-double of her career and junior guard Jerri Taylor poured in a game-high 17 points to lead the Xavier University women's basketball team past Richmond, 66-57, on Wednesday evening at Cintas Center.  With the win, Xavier improves to 11-6 overall and levels off at 1-1 in Atlantic 10 action.  Richmond slips to 8-9, 1-1. 

Taylor's 17 came on 5-of-10 shooting and she connected on three trifectas.  The South Bend, Ind. native also tallied a new career high with four steals.  Ta'Shia Phillips scored 12 points and hauled in 10 rebounds in registering her first double-double since the 51-46 win at Kentucky on New Year's Day. 

Sophomore forward Amber Harris scored seven points, snared nine rebounds and dished-out three assists in the win. 

Freshman guard Special Jennings and sophomore forward Maureen Hester each scored seven points.  Jennings also dropped three dimes in her first-career start at the point.  Junior forward Tudy Reed also tallied seven points and recorded a pair of thefts.    

XU led by only four points, 32-28, with 15:20 remaining in the contest but Xavier put the game away with a 12-0 run over the next 5:40 and seized a commanding 44-28 lead after Hester buried a 3-pointer at the 9:40 mark. 

Harris keyed the run with five points and Taylor sparked the run with a trey at the 15-minute mark. 

XU struggled from the free throw line late, allowing the Spiders to shrink the lead down to six points, 61-55, with a minute to go but that was as close as it would get. 

Xavier held the Spiders to 38.9 percent shooting on the night and out-rebounded UR by a 38-to-26 count.  Xavier forced Richmond into 18 turnovers and recorded a season-high 10 steals. 

XU allowed Richmond to hang around due to some inept free throw shooting.  XU was just 16-of-28 (57.1 percent) from the stripe, including 8-of-20 in the second half. 

Brittani Shells led the way for the Spiders with 16 points and five assists.

The Musketeers took an early 17-7 lead on the strength of four 3-point field goals.  Sophomore guard Alesia Barringer buried the fourth long-ball at the 12-minute mark.  However, Richmond would crawl back into the contest with a 9-0 run over the next 4:40 and closed to within one point, 17-16, after Christina Campion converted on a turnaround jumper at the 7:20 mark. 

Xavier would throw a counter punch with a couple of forced turnovers and built the edge back up to seven points, 27-20, after sophomore forward Maureen Hester recorded a theft and converted on the ensuing lay-up. 

UR would whittle the lead back down to three points, 27-24, at the break. 

Xavier returns to action on Saturday, January 19 when the takes on Saint Joseph's.  Game time is set for 6 p.m. at Cintas Center.