Jennifer Phillips outmuscles an opponent for the ball. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        KINGSTON, R.I. — Taru Tuukkanen scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead No.18 Xavier to an 83-73 win over Rhode Island on Sunday.

        Xavier (17-2, 8-1 Atlantic 10) used a 15-4 run to take the lead midway through the second half and held off Rhode Island's (8-11, 1-6).

        Lyrica Smith's basket gave Rhode Island a 43-40 lead with 13:50 to play in the game. Two straight baskets from Jennifer Phillips started Xavier's 15-4 run, the first coming with 13:30 to play, making the score 43-42.

        Phillips had 22 points and 11 rebounds.

        Two free throws by Tuukkanen with 4:21 to play gave Xavier a 69-60 lead, its biggest to that point.

        Rhode Island answered with a 5-0 run to pull within 69-66 with 3:28 to play. Shayla Johnson hit a 3-pointer during that Rhode Island run. Johnson and Yatar Kuyateh both scored 18 points for Rhode Island.

        Two foul shots by Vedrana Bajagic cut the Xavier lead to three points. Reetta Piipari answered with a 3-pointer to put Xavier ahead 72-66. Rhode Island would not get any closer than five points the rest of the way.

        Tuukkanen also had seven steals and four assists. She was named the A-10 Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.

XAVIER (83)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Phillips        37  9-12   4-6  6-11  3  4   22
Tuukkanen       39  9-15 10-12  6-14  4  4   28
Piipari         37  4-10   6-6   2-4  6  1   17
Parr            38   1-6   0-1   0-0  1  3    3
Levandusky      31  3-11   2-2   3-7  3  4    8
Kreager          1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Hall             3   0-1   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Bell            14   2-4   1-2   0-1  0  1    5
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 28-59 23-29 17-37 17 17   83
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.475, FT-.793. 3-Point Goals:
4-15, .267 (Piipari 3-6, Parr 1-4, Levandusky
0-5). Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 3
(Tuukkanen 2, Phillips). Turnovers: 20 (Piipari
8, Phillips 3, Tuukkanen 3, Bell 2, Levandusky 2,
Parr 2). Steals: 16 (Tuukkanen 7, Phillips 4,
Levandusky 2, Parr 2, Piipari).


RHODE ISLAND (73)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Johnson         39  8-14   0-3   2-4  3  4   18
Smith           25   3-6   2-4   3-8  3  3    8
Kuyateh         34  8-16   2-2   1-4  0  5   18
Djuric          30  7-10   1-2   0-2  4  4   15
Oneil           27   0-2   2-2   0-1  2  2    2
Pacheco         22   1-2   0-0   0-0  2  1    2
Bajagic         23   4-4   2-2   0-4  0  4   10
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 31-54  9-15  6-23 14 23   73
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.574, FT-.600. 3-Point Goals:
2-7, .286 (Johnson 2-4, Kuyateh 0-1, Oneil 0-2).
Team rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: None. Turnovers:
21 (Djuric 6, Smith 5, Pacheco 4, Bajagic 2,
Johnson 2, Kuyateh, Oneil). Steals: 9 (Johnson 3,
Djuric 2, Bajagic, Kuyateh, Oneil, Smith).
__________________________________
Xavier             30   53  -   83
Rhode Island       27   46  -   73
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None.  A: 549. Officials: Dock
Sisk, Ric Foxen, John Orminiski.

       

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