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kyxu
11-26-2009, 08:14 PM
Musketeers experience holiday famine in Orlando, fall to Marquette, 71-61
by Mike Damone

The Thanksgiving holiday was not a fulfilling one on the court for the Musketeers. Xavier feasted on its first three opponents of the season, averaging 96 points per game off 57 percent shooting from the field, including 53 percent from three and winning by an average margin of 36 points.

When facing the Marquette Golden Eagles (5-0) at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, however, the Musketeer offense was left wanting, shooting just 36 percent from the field en route to the first loss of the Chris Mack era, a 71-61 setback to Marquette in the first round of the early season tournament.

The Musketeers (3-1) held a distinct advantage in the interior, highlighted by a monster effort from Jason Love, who scored 21 points, pulling down 19 boards with five blocks. Xavier decisively out-rebounded the Golden Eagles, 46-29, and dominated points in the paint, 30-14, yet struggled to get consistent scoring from anywhere other than from the senior center from Philadelphia.

Possibly the biggest enigma of Xavier’s loss was the play of its go-to guy thus far, sophomore Jordan Crawford (9 pts, 7 reb), who struggled mightily on offense, finishing with just nine points off an abysmal 4-for-20 shooting, and was held scoreless in the first half.

Despite the Musketeers’ travails scoring the basketball, they held a two-point lead with 6:11 to go off a hoop and foul from Love. But in a game of runs, it would be the Musketeers final lead of the game, as the Golden Eagles went on an 11-0 spurt that would effectively decide the game. The Musketeers could only muster six more points over the duration of the contest.

Marquette star Lazar Haywood (27 pts, 3 reb) answered Love’s bucket with a three to give Marquette the lead for good, 56-55. Xavier had a chance to take the lead back off a tip-in from Crawford, but the bucket was waved off on a questionable goaltending call. Hayward would then knock down another three to send the Golden Eagles on their way.

A jumper in the lane by Crawford would later end Xavier’s drought and cut Marquette’s lead to 7, 64-57, with under three minutes to go, but the Musketeers would get no closer. Xavier went ice cold in the game’s waning moments, as Marquette was able to seal the game from the line.

The Musketeers got off to a strong start to open the game. Sophomore Terrell Holloway (7 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) knocked down a three from the left wing to start the scoring, and Love scored four quick points, the latter off a baby hook from the baseline to give Xavier a 7-1 lead to open the game.

Marquette wasn’t going away early, as it went on a 9-2 run, thanks to seven points from Hayward, to give Marquette its first lead, 10-9. Sophomore Mark Lyons (11 points, 2 reb, 2 ast) seized the lead back for the Musketeers, scoring on a driving lay-up and a three from the left wing to put Xavier up, 14-10, with under 13 minutes to go in the first half.

Holloway matched Xavier’s largest lead of the game at six when he drained a long three with the shot clock winding down to put his team up, 22-16. Marquette would answer with a 14-0 run, led by five from Hayward, to give the Golden Eagles their largest lead of the half, 30-22, with just over three minutes to go. Love added four points inside and a pair of free throws to help trim Xavier’s lead at the intermission, 33-29.

The Musketeers started the second half on a 9-3 run to regain the lead, 38-36, just under four minutes in. A lay-up from Lyons and Love gave Xavier a four-point lead, 49-45, with 10:03 to go, which would be its largest of the half, as Marquette would go back up by four an 8-0 run. Marquette scored 20 points off 20 Xavier turnovers, and a pair of steals and lay-ups would cap the run to give Marquette the lead, 53-49, with 8:16 to go.

A 6-0 run, started by a Dante Jackson (5 pts, 2 reb) three, would give Xavier its final lead before Marquette went on the game-deciding run. In addition to their poor overall shooting, Xavier had difficulty cutting in to Marquette’s late lead by failing to connect at the free-throw line, going just 2-for-5 in the second half. The Musketeers even had trouble connecting on point-blank, high-percentage shots, with Love being the only Musketeer making the most of his offensive touches.

Most frustrating for Xavier was its inability to generate consistent, half-court offense against a Marquette team missing key players to injuries. The Golden Eagles shot a solid 45 percent from the field, including an outstanding 58 percent from three.

Xavier will have to play a much-improved game when it faces the Creighton Blue Jays on Friday at 2:30 in the losers’ bracket of the Old Spice Classic. The Blue Jays (2-2) are coming off an 83-76 overtime loss to the Michigan Wolverines.