Dec. 2, 2006

Box Score

CINCINNATI - Xavier trailed by as many as 13 points but used an overwhelming second-half run to down Morehead State by a 72-55 score on Saturday afternoon at Cintas Center. With the win, XU snaps its first two game losing streak in over two years and improves to 6-2 on the year. Morehead State slips to 1-7.

Freshman forward Amber Harris led the way for XU once again, scoring 19 points on 8-ot-11 shooting while pulling down nine rebounds and blocking a pair of shots. Senior guard Suntana Granderson joined Harris in double-figures with 14 points. Granderson also tied a career high with eight rebounds and was one shy of a career high with five assists. Senior point guard Miranda Green scored 11 points and was 3-of-4 from long-range.

Freshman point guard Alesia Barringer broke out for a career-high 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting. Sophomore guard Jerri Taylor scored three points but chased-down a career-high nine rebounds.

Xavier trailed by 50-47 with 7:30 remaining but the team recaptured the lead thanks in large part to the play of Barringer. The rookie point guard scored XU's next five points, three coming via the free throw line, to give XU a 52-50 lead it would not relinquish.

Morehead would tie the game at 52 with 6:30 remaining but Green put the game away with back-to-back 3-pointers, the last one coming at the four-minute mark, to give XU a 63-54 lead and effectively put the game away.

The Musketeers out-scored MSU 25-6 over the final 7:30 and shot 53.6 percent in the second half to take home the 72-55 victory.

Xavier won the battle of the boards 43-to-25 and held a 32-to-19 edge on the defensive glass. The Musketeers shot a solid 78.3 percent (18-of-23) from the free throw line and held Morehead to just 8.3 percent (1-of-12) from beyond the 3-point arc in the second half.

XU led 5-2 after Granderson nailed a 3-pointer at the 16:20 mark and 14-12 when Harris made a turnaround jumper 8:20 later. However, Xavier would go ice cold, failing to hit a field goal for the next 5:20 and allowing Morehead State to charge out to a 17-2 run to seize a 29-16 lead with 3:20 remaining.

XU would out-score MSU 7-3 over the final 2:40, pulling to within nine points, 32-23, at the break.

Xavier is back in action on Thursday, December 7 when the team travels to University Park, Pa. to take on Penn State. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and can be heard live via internet radio broadcast on GOXAVIER.com.