Dec. 2, 2005

Box Score

AUBURN, Ala. - Junior guard Suntana Granderson's floater in the lane with 30-seconds to go proved to be the difference as the Xavier University women's basketball team defeated Auburn, 60-58, on Friday evening at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum in Auburn, Ala. With the win, XU improves to 5-1 on the season while the Tigers slip to 4-3.

With the score knotted at 58, Granderson penetrated into the lane and lofted a floater in the air that hit nothing but net. Auburn had two 3-point attempts on the next two possessions that misfired.

Granderson scored 14 points, all in the second half, and was 6-of-12 from the field. The Preseason All-Atlantic 10 Second Team selection also took a charge with 1:30 left and the score tied to give XU a valuable defensive stop.

Junior forward Tara Boothe scored a game-high 26 points and snared eight rebounds. The All-American Candidate tied the score up at 56 a piece when she drilled a clutch 3-pointer at the top of the key. Boothe then converted on a lay-up amongst traffic 50-seconds later to give XU a 58-56 lead.

Senior forward Kristy Wallner chased down eight rebound and became the 12th Musketeer ever to post 500 career rebounds.

The Musketeers shot only 35.5 percent from the field on Friday but held Auburn to 37.5 percent shooting including a 30.3 clip in the second half.

XU had only 11 turnovers on the night and were rock-solid in the second half as the team turned the ball over only once.

Xavier was out-rebounded 45-to-42 on the night but held its rugged opponent at bay, tying Auburn in second chance points 10-to-10.

Michele Miller continued her solid play with eight points and eight rebounds.

DeWanna Bonner led the way for Auburn with 22 points and five rebounds.

The Musketeers stumbled out of the gate, making only one of their first seven field goal attempts and Auburn jumped out to a 9-2 lead at the 16:40 mark on a Marita Payne put-back. The Musketeers would hold serve for the next 10:30, shrinking the Tigers' lead to six points, 23-17, on a pair of Jerri Taylor free throws.

Auburn took charge over the next 3:10 though, charging out to a 9-0 run and extending its lead to 32-17 at the first half's three-minute mark.

XU would not lie down though and held the Tigers to only two points over the remainder of the first stanza and trailed 34-25 at intermission.

XU extended that 8-2 spurt into a 20-6 run when Granderson converted on a pull-up jumper at the 16-minute mark, making the score 38-37 Tigers.

The Musketeers will return to action on Tuesday, December 6 when they welcome Eastern Kentucky to Cincinnati. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. at Cintas Center.

Xavier Musketeers Women's Basketball

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