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kyxu
11-27-2009, 04:54 PM
Musketeers bounce back to bounce Blue Jays, 80-67
by Mike Damone

After turning in an unimpressive performance a day prior against Marquette in the opening round of the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, the Musketeers rebounded in a big way to knock off the always-tough Creighton Blue Jays, 80-67, in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

Against Marquette on Thursday, Xavier (4-1) coughed up the basketball 20 times leading to 25 points for the opposition, so an ensuing match-up against the pressing, hot-shooting Creighton Blue Jays (2-3) provided some cause for concern. Always a tough out, Creighton came into Friday’s game winning three of its last four against Xavier, and had just taken the #15 Michigan Wolverines to overtime before ultimately falling.

In a game with great implications on the fortitude of this inexperienced but talented Xavier team, the Musketeers took care of business, going up by as much as 22 in the second half, in a game in which they never trailed, on their way to victory.

Sophomore Jordan Crawford, coming off the worst game of his young Xavier career, led the Musketeers with 22 points off 8-for-12 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three, to go with seven rebounds.

The Musketeers extended their lead to double-digits on several occasions in the first half, but a three from Ethan Wragge (21 pts, 6 reb) just before the half, and a bucket inside by Darryl Ashford (7 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) brought Creighton to within six to open the half, 39-33. That would be the extent of the fight from the Blue Jays in the second half.

Junior Jamel McLean (6 pts, 4 reb) answered with a short jumper before Crawford began to take over, hitting a pull-up jumper and a long three to bring Xavier’s lead back out to 13, 46-33.

Another three from Wragge brought the Blue Jays to within seven, 49-42, with 14:52 to go, but four quick points inside from sophomore Kenny Frease (7 pts, 4 reb) and a fastbreak lay-up off a steal from sophomore Mark Lyons (9 pts, 3 reb) pushed Xavier’s lead back out to 13, and Creighton never got within single digits.

In the span of a minute, Crawford buried a long three, pulled up for a jumper and hit another three to put Xavier up, 63-49, with 10:49 to go. On the next possession, McLean ignited the Xavier fans and bench with a thundering, one-handed slam off a perfect fastbreak feed from sophomore Terrell Holloway (12 pts, 6 ast, 3 reb).

Junior Dante Jackson (7 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) knocked down a three to put Xavier up 19, then another one later on from the wing to put Xavier up by 22, 73-51, with 7:42 to go. The Musketeers did somewhat take their foot off the pedal offensively, but Creighton didn’t threaten and the Musketeers needed only run the clock for the decisive win.

The contest between the two Jesuit institutions started off close, with Xavier building a modest lead early, before Creighton knotted it at 11 off a Kenny Lawson (10 pts, 4 reb) lay-up with 14:13 to go in the first half. Xavier steadily built an 8-point lead, capped by a Brad Redford (7 points) three, but Creighton would trim that lead to two, 21-19, when Ashford knocked down a triple.

Xavier stretched its lead to 10, 31-21, for the first time off four points inside from seldom-used reserve Andrew Taylor (6 points), who got free on a screen for a lay-up and later knocked down a short jump shot. Holloway gave Xavier its largest lead of the first half, 39-25, off a three, before Wragge dropped five to trim Xavier’s margin at the half.

Xavier improved virtually across the board in its Friday match-up against Creighton, shooting 53 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from three. Xavier turned the ball over just nine times, yet recorded 17 assists. Holloway again led the Xavier offense with precision, dropping six dimes to zero turnovers. The typically healthy-shooting Blue Jays shot just 38 percent from the field and 30 percent from three.

Xavier now awaits the winner of Baylor versus Iona, and will face the victor at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

jdm2000
11-28-2009, 11:18 AM
Nice write up as usual, Mike.