#3 Xavier Steals Women’s A-10 Championship from #1 Temple

By James Greenspan: SPM NJ Writer
Posted Monday, March 10, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Trailing the by three with under 15 seconds to play, Temple’s senior point guard Ashley Morris had the ball stolen away from her by Xavier’s Jerri Taylor. Taylor was then fouled and hit both of her free throws to put the Xavier Musketeers ahead 47-42, sealing Xavier’s second consecutive Atlantic Ten Championship.

In addition to her great defensive play, Taylor had a game-high 14-point offensive output, hit both her 3-point attempts and was a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe. A-10 Rookie of the Year Ta’Shia Harris bounced back from a one-point first half to have a monster second half for the Musketeers. She poured in nine second half points to finish with 10, and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double. Amber Harris also scored in double-figures for the Musketeers with 12 points and five blocks, coming on strong in the second half.

In a game that was tight throughout, neither team led by more than five at any point. Temple had a 24-21 lead at halftime but was outscored 26-18 in the second frame. Both teams played high-intensity defense, frequently employing the full-court press and doubling the other team's low-post players, opting to force the outside shooters to hit their jump shots. For Xavier, the plan worked, with outside shooters being able to drop some baskets, but for Temple the ineffectiveness of their outside game was a blow. Freshman sharpshooter Lindsay Kimmel hit only 1-of-8 three-point attempts, and her effectiveness was limited throughout the game. As a team Temple was only 3-18 from downtown.

For the Owls Ashley Morris had a team-high 12 points, but she was only 4-20 from the floor. Shanea Cotton added 10 points and Lady Comfort pulled down 11 rebounds -- seven on the offensive glass -- but was only able to score five points in the contest. Finally, with five points and nine rebounds, Jasmine Stone made a huge impact on the game. Her hustle and energy as well as defensive intensity might not appear in the box score, but her impact on the game for Temple was as big as any of their other players.

For Temple the ineffectiveness of their long-range shooters was their downfall, as their defense was impressive all night long. They forced 19 Xavier turnovers, blocked six shots, and grabbed more rebounds than the Musketeers as well.

While Xavier celebrates their now-automatic bid into the women’s NCAA tournament, Temple can only sit and wait for the tournament selection committee to decide their fate. The women’s field will be announced next week on “Selection Monday” on ESPN. Along with nationally ranked George Washington, Temple hopes to receive an at-large bid for the NCAA tournament and become the third Atlantic-10 team selected to the NCAA Tournament this season.