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kyxu
02-20-2010, 09:10 PM
Xavier bruises Niners in Charlotte, keeps pace in A-10 race, 81-67
by Mike Damone

With a pivotal three-game swing against members of the Atlantic 10’s “upper half” confronting the Musketeers – compounded by the fact Xavier entered Saturday in a two-way tie for second-place – there was little room for error if Xavier were to be crowned A-10 regular season champions for a fourth-consecutive season.

Saturday afternoon, the Musketeers (19-7, 10-2) took a giant leap towards their regular season goal, thumping the previously third-place Charlotte 49ers (18-8, 8-4), 81-67, in Halton Arena. The 49ers had lost just twice previously at home this season, but had stumbled in Halton to Duquesne only three days prior, and were suffering from a two-game slide.

Effective shooting from the field, team defense, Xavier’s frontcourt and Jordan Crawford (23 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast) only served to prolong Charlotte’s despair, further placing the 49ers’ NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy.

Much of Saturday’s affair was an even match-up, but the difference may have been conjured in a 14-0 Xavier run that spanned seven minutes of the first half, giving the Musketeers a 12-point lead, 28-16, with 3:18 left before the break.

Jamel McLean (14 pts, 11 reb) knotted the game at 16 when he jammed home a feed from Crawford, and Crawford broke the tie and gave the Musketeers the lead for good with still 6:34 left, courtesy of a hoop and foul.

Crawford extended Xavier’s lead, 22-16, with a triple from the corner, and Mark Lyons (8 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast) put Xavier up eight with a pair of free throws. Kenny Frease (6 pts, 5 reb) put Xavier up by double-digits for the first time with a short jumper, and Crawford capped the run with a steal and lay-up.

Ian Anderson (5 pts, 3 reb) broke the seven-minute Charlotte drought with a three, and three the hard way from Chris Braswell (9 pts, 7 reb) brought the 49ers back to within six, 28-22, with less than two minutes left before the intermission. A free throw from Crawford, and his tip-in with 16 seconds left put Xavier up nine at the half.

The 49ers threatened the Xavier advantage throughout the second half, but the Musketeers always answered with a run to put Charlotte on its heels. After a jumper from Shamari Spears (13 pts, 5 reb) and a dunk from Braswell brought Charlotte to within five, 34-29, with 16:55 to go, the Musketeers responded with a 7-0 run to put them back up12.

McLean put back a Jason Love (10 pts, 4 reb) miss, Crawford knocked down a triple, and later scored on the fastbreak to take a 41-29 lead with 15:36 left.

Charlotte again cut it to five, 45-40, off a lay-up by K.J. Sherrill with 12:23 to go, but a 6-0 put Xavier back up by 11. Lyons began the run with a pair of free throws, and with Charlotte attempting to further cut in to Xavier's lead, Spears was whistled for an over-the-back foul on the struggle for an offensive rebound.

The foul call drew ire, and a technical, from the Charlotte bench, and Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) capitalized on the opportunity, sinking both free throws, before Love jammed home a dish from Lyons on the ensuing possession to put the Musketeers up, 51-40, with 11:47 to go.

Dante Jackson (5 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) later knocked down another three to give Xavier its largest lead at that point, 61-46, with 7:37 to go. A three from Dijuan Harris (7 pts, 5 ast) brought Charlotte back to within 10, 61-51, but buckets inside from McLean and Frease extended Xavier’s lead, and a long three from Crawford essentially sealed it, 71-54, with 3:10 to go.

Some sloppy defense, careless turnovers and an inability to in-bound the basketball prevented the Musketeers from running the 49ers in the final minutes, but Charlotte was unable to capitalize offensively, and Xavier was eventually able to pull away. Xavier went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final moments to provide the final margin.

Crawford tied for the game-high of 23 points, followed by McLean’s 14. McLean recorded another double-double for the Musketeers, pulling down a game-high 11 boards. Holloway added 13 points, and Love chipped in 10.

Green knotched 23 for Charlotte, with Spears adding 13.

Xavier shot an impressive 79 percent from the free-throw line, and 52 percent from the field, but committed 18 turnovers. The 49ers struggled from the field, shooting just 36 percent, including 28 percent from three.

The Musketeers will remain away from home for another critical road contest as they take on the St. Louis Billikens on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Winners of five straight, St. Louis (17-8, 8-3) currently sits at fourth-place in the conference standings. The Musketeers topped the Billikens twice last season, winning 70-44 in Cincinnati, and 76-47 in the Quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.