March 17, 2007

Box Score |  AP Photo Gallery  | Post Game Notes | Quotes

AUSTIN, Texas - Freshman forward Amber Harris scored a game-high 19 points and notched her 12^th double-double of the season with 10 rebounds but it was not enough as the Xavier University women's basketball team dropped a 65-52 decision to West Virginia in First Round action of the 2007 Division I Women's Basketball Championship in Austin, Texas.  With the loss, No. 6 seed Xavier concludes the season with a 26-9 record, tying for the second-most wins in program history.  No. 11 West Virginia improves to 21-10 on the year. 

Harris' 19 came on 6-of-14 shooting and she was also 5-of-6 from the free throw line.  She also posted a team NCAA Tournament record three blocked shots and stole the ball six times.  Senior guard Suntana Granderson scored 13 points in her final game in a Musketeer uniform.

Senior guard Michele Miller hauled in nine rebounds for XU and ended her career with 499 caroms.  Sophomore guard Jerri Taylor chipped in with eight points and she was 2-of-6 from long-range.   

Xavier suffered through a cold-shooting first half and trailed 31-18 at the half.  The Mountaineers remained in control and XU was able to cut the lead to 10 points, 62-52, on a Granderson 3-pointer with under one-minute to play. 

It was too little too late though as XU would be unable to cut the lead any further.  

XU connected on a season-low 15 field goals and shot just 30 percent (15-of-50) on the night.  WVU had plenty of chances for rebounds and won the battle of the boards by a 40-to-31 margin. 

XU slipped to 4-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and is now 3-2 when playing in the tourney as the higher seeded team. 

Xavier jumped out to a 4-0 lead after Harris drained a pair of free throws at the 17-minute mark.  West Virginia would answer with five consecutive points and took an 11-9 lead it would not relinquish with 10:30 remaining in the first half. 

A Miranda Green pull-up jumper at the 4:20 mark cut the Mountaineer lead to three points, 21-18, but XU would not score for the remainder of the stanza.  West Virginia would take advantage and ended the half on a 10-0 run to take a 31-18 lead at the break. 

The 13-point deficit was XU's largest of the season and the 18 points marked the fewest the Musketeers had scored in any half all year long.