WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senior center Adeola Olanrewaju scored a career-high 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting to lead three Musketeers in double-figures but the Xavier University women’s basketball team was nipped by No. 16 Temple 64-61 on Sunday afternoon in an Atlantic 10 Tournament semifinal at the Smith Center in Washington, D.C.

With the loss, XU slips to 20-9 on the season. All nine of Xavier’s losses have been by eight points or less. Temple, the tourney’s overall No. 1 seed, wins its 23rd straight game and improves to 26-3 on the year.

Tara Boothe was solid as usual, scoring 15 points and hauling in 13 rebounds in 40-minutes of action. Boothe now has 24 career double-doubles. Suntana Granderson was the final Musketeer in double-figures with 11 points.

The second half was hotly contested, featuring six lead changes and four ties. XU tied up the game for the last time, 55-55 at the 4:20 mark on a Boothe free throw. However, Temple responded when Jennifer Owens drilled a 3-pointer at the 4:10 mark to give the Owls the lead for good.

Olanrewaju converted on two lay ups on consecutive possessions to shrink the Temple lead to one point, the last coming at the three-minute mark. Dupree answered that with a lay up with 1:40 to go but Michele Miller drained a pull up jumper with 30-seconds to go, drawing XU within one yet again at 62-61.

Owl forward Ari Moore hit two free throws on the ensuing possession, making the score 64-61, but Miller’s 3-point attempt clanged rudely off the rim ensuring a Temple victory.

The Musketeers shot a frigid 36.6 percent from the field in the first half but came back and shot 51.9 percent in the second stanza. Temple took care of business from the charity stripe, hitting on 15-of-18 attempts (83.3 percent). XU was 15-of-20 from the line.

After Olanrewaju tied the game up at 2-2 with a lay up one minute into the first half, Temple sprinted out to a 10-4 spurt and took a 12-6 with 14:10 to go on a Candice Dupree jumper.

XU would respond though and cut the lead to one point on two occasions. The first on a Granderson 3-pointer at the 7:20 mark and then again on a Granderson driving lay up at 5:30.

Temple end the half on an 8-3 run, taking a 34-28 lead into the locker room. Dupree led the way for Temple with 14 points and seven rebounds in the first session. Granderson had nine at the break for XU.

The Musketeers will await their fate from the NCAA Selection Committee. The 2005 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament field will be announced on Sunday, March 13 beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Selection Show will be televised by ESPN.