Women's Basketball Preview: Wednesday, February 27 vs. Dayton

Feb. 26, 2008

CINCINNATI - The Xavier University women's basketball team will look to avenge its only loss in a month and a half when the Musketeers welcome Dayton to Cintas Center on Wednesday.  Game time is set for 7 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free Blue Blob Bobblebody.  Fans who bring a non-perishable food item will receive free admission to the game. 

McGuff at 120
Sixth-year head coach Kevin McGuff's first five seasons at Xavier have been the most productive first five seasons any XU coach has enjoyed.  McGuff is the first coach to lead Xavier to five consecutive postseason appearances in his/her first five years at XU and he reached 100 wins in fewer games (149) than any coach in Xavier history.  McGuff's record at Xavier now stands at 126-57 and his .689 winning percentage is the highest in XU history.

McGuff Moves Up A-10 Charts
Sixth-year head coach Kevin McGuff is bolting up a couple of lists after leading XU to an 11-3 conference record last season.  McGuff is in ninth place on the all-time Atlantic 10 winning percentage list (regular season games only).  McGuff has a record of 64-26 in A-10 regular season games since the 2002-03 season for a winning percentage of .711.  Joe McKeown (GW) and Dawn Staley (Temple) are the only other two active A-10 coaches with better winning percentages in regular season play (min. 30 wins).  McGuff now sits in 14^th place, after just five+ seasons, on the A-10 wins list (regular season games only) with 64.

20 Win Notes
With one more victory, Xavier will notch its 11th 20-win season in program history.  Xavier has won 20 games in three consecutive seasons and the team has won 20 regular season games in each of the last two seasons.  XU has won 20 games in four of Kevin McGuff's five seasons as head coach and the team has won at least 20 games in seven of the last nine years.  
       Year            Reg. Season Wins
1.     2000-01                             25
2.     2006-07                             23
2.     1999-00                             23
4.     1998-99                             21
5.     2007-08                          20
5.     2005-06                             20

       Year            Most Overall Wins
1.     2000-01                             31 
2.     2006-07                             26
2.     1999-00                             26
4.     1998-99                             24
5.     2004-05                             22
6.     1992-93                             21
6.     2005-06                             21
8.     2007-08                          20
8.     1981-82                             20
8.     1993-94                             20
8.     2002-03                             20

Double-Digit Conference Wins
Xavier won 11 Atlantic 10 Conference games during the 2005-06 season, marking the seventh time Xavier won at least 10 A-10 games since the team joined the league prior to the 1995-96 season (12th season).  It also marked the eighth time ever that XU has won at least 10 conference games.  Xavier went 11-5 in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference during the 1992-93 season, marking the only other time XU has won at least 10 games in a conference season.

Another New Rebounding Record?
Sophomore forward Amber Harris established a new single-season rebounding record when she snared 303 boards during the 2006-07 season.  Her record could fall tonight though as freshman center Ta'Shia Phillips enters the game with 302 rebounds this year.  Phillips is leading the Atlantic 10 at 11.2 rebounds per game and is on pace to corral 325 rebounds during the 2007-08 regular season.

AFTER 27 GAMES
                        Rebs.   RPG   Total
Harris (2006-07)  221     8.5      303
Phillips (2007-08) 289     11.1   325*
* projected regular season total

10 of 11 and 20 of 22
Xavier has won 10 of its last 11 games (all against A-10 competition) this season and 20 of its last 22 dating back to last season.  Xavier won 13 in-a-row to end the 2006-07 season (including the 3-0 en route to the 2007 Atlantic 10 Championship).  Xavier's most productive stretch against the A-10 came when it won 34 of 36 games from January 14, 2000 - March 5, 2001.

Three is Not a Crowd
Amber Harris and Ta'Shia Phillips cannot carry the entire scoring load, evidenced by the fact that Xavier is 14-0 when three or more Musketeers score in double-figures and only 6-7 when one or two Musketeers reach double-figure scoring.  

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