Feb. 8, 2011

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RICHMOND, Va. - The No. 7/6 Xavier women's basketball team is looking to extend its regular-season Atlantic 10 winning streak to 24 games in its Wednesday evening matchup at Richmond. The Musketeers and Spiders are set to tip off at 7 p.m. at UR's Robins Center.

About the Musketeers
No. 7/7 Xavier (19-2, 8-0 A-10) extended its winning streak to nine games by narrowly escaping Dayton with a 70-66 overtime victory on Feb. 5. The Flyers out-rebounded the Musketeers, 51-39, only the third time this season a team has accomplished that feat. As a team, XU leads the Atlantic 10 with a .454 field goal percentage (15th NCAA) and also ranks first in scoring margin (+18.6 - 11th NCAA), rebounding margin (+10.6 - 7th NCAA), assists (17.1 - 16th NCAA), assist/turnover ratio (1.1 - 12th NCAA) and attendance (2,579).

Two Musketeers are averaging a double-double this season, XU's front court duo of seniors Amber Harris (18.7 ppg., 10.0 rpg.) and Ta'Shia Phillips (14.8 ppg., 12.6 rpg.). Harris leads the league with 2.1 blocks per contest and is second in rebounding and third in scoring. Phillips' .594 field goal percentage is the best in the A-10 as is her rebounding average (2nd NCAA) - she also ranks sixth in blocks (1.5) and seventh in scoring. Senior Special Jennings loves to pass the ball and her 5.1 apg. is tops in the conference. She takes good care of the rock too - her 2.1 assist/turnover ratio is best in the A-10 and 14th in the nation.

Scouting Richmond
Richmond (15-8, 6-3 A-10) has won back-to-back games after suffering through a three-game skid and most recently came away with a 56-50 win over St. Bonaventure at home on Saturday. UR's Abby Oliver was the only player to post a double-double in the contest with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Spiders' +2.8 turnover margin is the best in the A-10 and UR snatches 9.7 steals per contest which comes in third in league standings.

The Spiders are led by Brittani Shells, the conference's leading scorer at 19.6 ppg. and she will pick your pocket as she averages 2.6 spg. (3rd A-10). Crystal Goring ranks third in the A-10 with 9.2 rpg., behind XU's Phillips and Harris, and she is fourth in blocks with 1.6 per contest. Abby Oliver has made a team-best 38 3-point baskets on the season and is also the team's leading free throw shooter at .803 percent.

The Series
Since Richmond joined the Atlantic 10 prior to the 2001-02 season, XU and UR have met 14 times in the all-time series with Xavier holding a slim 8-6 advantage. The Spiders won six of the first seven meetings between the two but the Musketeers have taken the last seven in a row, including a 61-52 quarterfinals win in the 2010 A-10 Championship on March 6.

Xavier Musketeers Women's Basketball

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