Nov. 25, 2007

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CINCINNATI - Preseason All-American Amber Harris scored 20 points and blocked six shots and junior guard Jerri Taylor added 18 points but it was not enough as the Xavier University women's basketball team dropped a 61-56 decision to Liberty in the Championship Game of the National City Xavier Invitational on Sunday afternoon at Cintas Center.  With the win, XU slips to 4-2 on the year while Liberty improves to 5-1.

Harris' 20 came on 8-of-22 shooting, including 4-of-9 from deep.  She also pulled down four rebounds and dished-out a pair of assists.  Taylor finished 6-of-12 from the floor and was 4-of-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.  She also dropped three dimes without committing a single turnover. 

Freshman Ta'Shia Phillips was a force down low, scoring seven points and hauling in 10 rebounds (all defensive) in 36 minutes of action.  Phillips has now tallied double-digit rebounds in four-straight games.  For her efforts, Phillips was selected to the National City Xavier Invitational All-Tournament Team.  She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Courtney Taylor (Houston), Ne'Aisha Anderson (McNeese State) and Moriah Frzaee (Liberty).  Liberty's Megan Frazee was voted as the Most Valuable Player. 

The Musketeers led by as many as 13 points, 25-12, after Phillips connected on a pair of free throws with 4:50 left in the first half.  Liberty would cut the lead to nine at the half and still trailed by nine points, 39-30, with 13:30 remaining in regulation. 

However, Liberty would charge out to an 11-3 run over the next 4:30 and trailed 42-41 with nine-minutes to go. 

XU seemed to right the ship with back-to-back baskets by Harris and Phillips but the Musketeers would go cold, allowing the Lady Flames to mount their decisive 14-2 run over the next two minutes.  Megan Frazee scored 10 of Liberty's 14 points during the decisive stretch. 

Xavier would trim the lead to three points with eight-seconds remaining but the Lady Flames hit their free throws down the stretch to ice the contest.

Liberty out-rebounded Xavier by a 36-to-30 count and shot at a solid 50 percent clip in the second half.  The Lady Flames were also a blistering 9-of-20 from beyond the 3-point arc on Sunday.

Megan Frazee led all scorers with 28 points. 

Xavier will be back in action on Saturday, December 1 when the team takes on intracity rival Cincinnati in the annual Crosstown Shootout.  Game time is set for 1 p.m. and the contest will be televised live by the Ohio News Network (ONN).  Over 8,500 tickets have been sold as both schools are aiming to "Sell Out the Shootout" for the second-straight year.