kyxu
01-09-2010, 10:38 AM
Musketeers flirt with disaster, awake to edge La Salle, 68-62
by Mike Damone
After a somewhat underwhelming performance in the non-conference portion of Xavier’s schedule, which led to five losses and zero wins on the road, the Musketeers would have to pick up the slack dramatically during the Atlantic 10 slate for any hope of a fourth-straight conference title.
On Thursday night at La Salle’s Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, the margin for error between Xavier (9-5, 1-0) focusing on another season of Atlantic 10 dominance or instead focusing on its own psyche after a potentially season-shaking loss to an underachieving conference foe was razor thin.
The Musketeers worked their way to a comfortable 20-point lead with more than 13 minutes left in the second half only to see the Explorers (7-7, 0-1) sweep it all away in a 22-2 run over nine minutes, holding the Musketeers without a single point for more than seven of those, and knotting the game at 56 with just over four minutes to play. Fortunately for Xavier, the Explorers were never able to get over the hump and actually take the lead in the second half, undergoing a scoring drought of their own which allowed Xavier to escape with a wild 68-62 win to open conference play.
The Musketeers took a 15-point halftime advantage and extended it to 20 when Jason Love (11 pts, 8 reb) was left alone for a slam to put Xavier up 54-34 with 13:10 to go. It was at this point that La Salle’s Rodney Green (20 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) awoke from an offensive slumber to help put the Explorers back in the game. Green scored eight points in the Explorers’ 22-2 run, and hit a tough jumper from the baseline to tie the game at 56 with just 4:04 remaining.
Xavier’s offense was non-existent during this stretch, misfiring on 11 attempts and going more than seven minutes without a single point. Poor Musketeers shots led to fastbreak opportunities for the Explorers, helping La Salle close the gap quickly.
But as easily as the Explorers climbed back into the game, they had great difficulty finally taking over. Once La Salle tied the score, they had a chance to take the lead after a Xavier turnover, but Yves Mekongo’s (10 pts, 7 reb) dunk attempt hit the front of the iron, allowing a Xavier fastbreak where Jordan Crawford (22 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast) was fouled going inside for a shot.
Crawford stopped the bleeding, giving Xavier the lead, 58-56, back with a pair of free throws. Green quickly responded and tied the game with a short jumper, but Crawford answered right back with a jumper of his own in the paint to put the Musketeers up, 60-58.
La Salle had another chance to take the lead on the next possession when Green found Mekongo for a basket down low while drawing the foul. Mekongo missed the free throw, which proved costly, as Dante Jackson (9 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast) gave Xavier the lead for good when he splashed a three from the wing to put Xavier up, 63-60.
Green gave the Explorers their final points of the night with 2:04 to go when he scored inside to cut Xavier’s lead to one, before Crawford sealed the deal with a hoop and foul to put Xavier up four with under two minutes remaining. Holloway iced the game with a pair of free throws, which allowed Xavier to escape with the crucial conference road win.
The first half remained close, with the score knotted at 14 off a Kimmani Barrett (11 pts, 4 reb) three with 9:49 left in the first half. But a 10-0 run gave the Musketeers their largest lead to that point, 24-14, with 7:15 to go. Crawford got the run started when he pushed the ball up the floor after Barrett’s three for a quick bucket, which he later followed with four-consecutive free throws. Crawford capped the run with a drive inside and layup.
The Musketeers took a 15-point lead, 41-26, into the locker room when Jamel McLean (6 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk) hit a jumper and Crawford splashed a three before the half. Xavier steadily built their largest lead of 20 in the second half when La Salle settled for quick shots and Xavier capitalized off the empty possessions.
But the Explorers broke their offensive slump after Xavier took the 20-point lead, shooting 47 percent in the second half after shooting just 27 percent in the first. The Musketeers held on in the second half despite shooting just 32 percent, and committing 17 turnovers. Xavier also shot just 22 percent from long range in the second half.
The Explorers also heavily contested Xavier’s shots inside, swatting away 12 Musketeer attempts, in addition to picking up 11 steals. Xavier turned the ball over five more times than the Explorers, but the biggest stat of the game was Xavier going an incredible 90 percent from the free-throw line off 18-for-20 shooting, while the Explorers went to the line just six times where they connected on four.
Crawford led all scorers with 22, followed by Green’s 20. The win for Xavier marked just the second-consecutive time the Musketeers won their conference road opener.
Xavier will remain on the East Coast this time heading south to Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C., to take on the George Washington Colonials on Sunday at noon. The Colonials (11-3, 1-0) are coming off a 78-71 win at St. Bonaventure. The Musketeers won last year’s meeting between the two teams, 71-53, in Cincinnati.
by Mike Damone
After a somewhat underwhelming performance in the non-conference portion of Xavier’s schedule, which led to five losses and zero wins on the road, the Musketeers would have to pick up the slack dramatically during the Atlantic 10 slate for any hope of a fourth-straight conference title.
On Thursday night at La Salle’s Tom Gola Arena in Philadelphia, the margin for error between Xavier (9-5, 1-0) focusing on another season of Atlantic 10 dominance or instead focusing on its own psyche after a potentially season-shaking loss to an underachieving conference foe was razor thin.
The Musketeers worked their way to a comfortable 20-point lead with more than 13 minutes left in the second half only to see the Explorers (7-7, 0-1) sweep it all away in a 22-2 run over nine minutes, holding the Musketeers without a single point for more than seven of those, and knotting the game at 56 with just over four minutes to play. Fortunately for Xavier, the Explorers were never able to get over the hump and actually take the lead in the second half, undergoing a scoring drought of their own which allowed Xavier to escape with a wild 68-62 win to open conference play.
The Musketeers took a 15-point halftime advantage and extended it to 20 when Jason Love (11 pts, 8 reb) was left alone for a slam to put Xavier up 54-34 with 13:10 to go. It was at this point that La Salle’s Rodney Green (20 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) awoke from an offensive slumber to help put the Explorers back in the game. Green scored eight points in the Explorers’ 22-2 run, and hit a tough jumper from the baseline to tie the game at 56 with just 4:04 remaining.
Xavier’s offense was non-existent during this stretch, misfiring on 11 attempts and going more than seven minutes without a single point. Poor Musketeers shots led to fastbreak opportunities for the Explorers, helping La Salle close the gap quickly.
But as easily as the Explorers climbed back into the game, they had great difficulty finally taking over. Once La Salle tied the score, they had a chance to take the lead after a Xavier turnover, but Yves Mekongo’s (10 pts, 7 reb) dunk attempt hit the front of the iron, allowing a Xavier fastbreak where Jordan Crawford (22 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast) was fouled going inside for a shot.
Crawford stopped the bleeding, giving Xavier the lead, 58-56, back with a pair of free throws. Green quickly responded and tied the game with a short jumper, but Crawford answered right back with a jumper of his own in the paint to put the Musketeers up, 60-58.
La Salle had another chance to take the lead on the next possession when Green found Mekongo for a basket down low while drawing the foul. Mekongo missed the free throw, which proved costly, as Dante Jackson (9 pts, 3 reb, 4 ast) gave Xavier the lead for good when he splashed a three from the wing to put Xavier up, 63-60.
Green gave the Explorers their final points of the night with 2:04 to go when he scored inside to cut Xavier’s lead to one, before Crawford sealed the deal with a hoop and foul to put Xavier up four with under two minutes remaining. Holloway iced the game with a pair of free throws, which allowed Xavier to escape with the crucial conference road win.
The first half remained close, with the score knotted at 14 off a Kimmani Barrett (11 pts, 4 reb) three with 9:49 left in the first half. But a 10-0 run gave the Musketeers their largest lead to that point, 24-14, with 7:15 to go. Crawford got the run started when he pushed the ball up the floor after Barrett’s three for a quick bucket, which he later followed with four-consecutive free throws. Crawford capped the run with a drive inside and layup.
The Musketeers took a 15-point lead, 41-26, into the locker room when Jamel McLean (6 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk) hit a jumper and Crawford splashed a three before the half. Xavier steadily built their largest lead of 20 in the second half when La Salle settled for quick shots and Xavier capitalized off the empty possessions.
But the Explorers broke their offensive slump after Xavier took the 20-point lead, shooting 47 percent in the second half after shooting just 27 percent in the first. The Musketeers held on in the second half despite shooting just 32 percent, and committing 17 turnovers. Xavier also shot just 22 percent from long range in the second half.
The Explorers also heavily contested Xavier’s shots inside, swatting away 12 Musketeer attempts, in addition to picking up 11 steals. Xavier turned the ball over five more times than the Explorers, but the biggest stat of the game was Xavier going an incredible 90 percent from the free-throw line off 18-for-20 shooting, while the Explorers went to the line just six times where they connected on four.
Crawford led all scorers with 22, followed by Green’s 20. The win for Xavier marked just the second-consecutive time the Musketeers won their conference road opener.
Xavier will remain on the East Coast this time heading south to Foggy Bottom in Washington, D.C., to take on the George Washington Colonials on Sunday at noon. The Colonials (11-3, 1-0) are coming off a 78-71 win at St. Bonaventure. The Musketeers won last year’s meeting between the two teams, 71-53, in Cincinnati.