Feb. 2, 2010

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - With its impressive 16-3 overall mark and unblemished 6-0 A-10 record, Xavier has climbed three spots in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Polls this week, ranking seventh, respectively, among the elite teams in the nation. The No. 7 ranking is the highest the Musketeers have ever achieved, besting the No. 8 ranking the team held earlier this season.

Led by junior forward Amber Harris, who is third in the A-10 with her 14.6 points per game average, the Musketeers have won seven-straight contests and have outscored their opponents by more than 20 points a game during their current winning stretch. Head Coach Kevin McGuff's squad, listed 13th in the NCAA's latest RPI Ratings, is also ranked among the NCAA's Top 25 in seven statistical categories, including rebounding margin (8th, 10.2), three-point field goal percentage (9th, 39.1), field goal percentage defense (12th, 34.7), field goal percentage (16th, 45.9), scoring margin (17th, 17.2), assists per game (22nd, 16.0) and blocks per game (22nd, 5.4).

Seven league teams have been nationally ranked or have received votes this season -- Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Temple and Xavier. Moreover, the A-10 had two teams in the Top 25 polls for the first time since 2006, as both Xavier and Dayton were listed simultaneously for two straight-weeks. During the 2006 season, both Temple (#21) and George Washington (#25) were ranked at the same time.