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02-22-2008, 12:49 AM
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#10 Xavier’s D KOs Dukes, 75-48
by Mike Damone
Coming off four-consecutive close games, their star point guard still hobbled with a bum ankle and the frenetic pace of the Duquesne Dukes on the horizon – a team who came into this game averaging a conference-best 84.1 points per game – it was unlikely the 10th-ranked Xavier Musketeers (23-4, 11-1) would find any reprieve in such a match-up. In retrospect, apologies may be sent directly to Xavier’s superior depth, interior defense and veteran poise in dissecting a typically problematic full-court press, as the Musketeers held the Dukes (16-9, 6-6) to their lowest offensive output of the season off just 31.7 percent shooting.
Head coach Ron Everhart of Duquesne employs a constant full-court press that forces turnovers, and creates more shot opportunities for his team. Their methodology proved successful last season when the Dukes forced Xavier into 21 turnovers in pulling off a 93-91 upset at the Palumbo Center.
Thursday evening, the Musketeers committed just 12 and used an 18-2 run to take a 45-26 halftime lead – capped off by a fadeaway three from BJ Raymond (13 pts, ) from the left wing – at around the 7:30 mark to break a close game wide open and quash any ideas of an upset bid for the Dukes. Duquesne scored the game’s first five points, but Xavier would steadily gain control, holding the Dukes scoreless for the final five minutes of the first half.
Xavier had been previously victimized by slow starts to second halves, typically allowing the opposition to chip away at previously sizable leads to put the game in balance in the final minutes. No such threat was posed by the Dukes, as Xavier’s lead never fell below 17 points in the second half, and the Musketeers stretched their lead to over 20 for good by around the 14-minute mark off a Stanley Burrell (4 pts, 12 assists) jumper.
A large concern heading into the game was how Xavier would be able to break the fast, suffocating press of Duquesne with their ultimate press-breaker, Drew Lavender (5 pts), still lame from an ankle injury sustained versus Charlotte over a week ago. Burrell spearheaded Xavier’s press attack with precise passing, allowing the Musketeers to beat the Dukes down the floor nearly every possession, leading to fast-break opportunities. The Musketeers would dish out 22 assists to 29 field goals.
CJ Anderson (13 pts, 10 reb), Derrick Brown (13 pts, 11 reb) and Jason Love (12 pts, 6 reb) were the beneficiaries of such precision, creating easy opportunities inside and an insurmountable lead a typically poor-shooting Duquesne team would be unable to overcome.
More importantly, Burrell’s mastery of the Duquesne press allowed Lavender much-needed respite for an upcoming stretch that includes road games at Dayton and St. Joseph’s. Lavender played just 14 minutes, allowing Lavender and freshman Danté Jackson (4 pts) to hold down the point guard duties. Anderson and Brown each scored a double-double, helping Xavier’s interior game win the battle of the boards against the conference’s top rebounding team, 39-31.
With the victory, Xavier’s win streak improves to a season-high nine games, and the Musketeers improve to 20-0 when four or more players score in double-figures. Three players on Xavier’s team shared the game-high of 13 points. Reggie Jackson and Shawn James paced the Dukes’ attack with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Musketeers will head up I-75 on Sunday to take on the conference rival Dayton Flyers (17-8, 5-7) for a rematch at 2 p.m. The Flyers will be looking to avenge a 69-43 thumping they received in Cincinnati last month. A win at UD Arena would extend Xavier’s winning streak over Dayton to five games, and would also guarantee Xavier at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season crown. Dayton is coming off an 81-78 overtime loss to the La Salle Explorers.
#10 Xavier’s D KOs Dukes, 75-48
by Mike Damone
Coming off four-consecutive close games, their star point guard still hobbled with a bum ankle and the frenetic pace of the Duquesne Dukes on the horizon – a team who came into this game averaging a conference-best 84.1 points per game – it was unlikely the 10th-ranked Xavier Musketeers (23-4, 11-1) would find any reprieve in such a match-up. In retrospect, apologies may be sent directly to Xavier’s superior depth, interior defense and veteran poise in dissecting a typically problematic full-court press, as the Musketeers held the Dukes (16-9, 6-6) to their lowest offensive output of the season off just 31.7 percent shooting.
Head coach Ron Everhart of Duquesne employs a constant full-court press that forces turnovers, and creates more shot opportunities for his team. Their methodology proved successful last season when the Dukes forced Xavier into 21 turnovers in pulling off a 93-91 upset at the Palumbo Center.
Thursday evening, the Musketeers committed just 12 and used an 18-2 run to take a 45-26 halftime lead – capped off by a fadeaway three from BJ Raymond (13 pts, ) from the left wing – at around the 7:30 mark to break a close game wide open and quash any ideas of an upset bid for the Dukes. Duquesne scored the game’s first five points, but Xavier would steadily gain control, holding the Dukes scoreless for the final five minutes of the first half.
Xavier had been previously victimized by slow starts to second halves, typically allowing the opposition to chip away at previously sizable leads to put the game in balance in the final minutes. No such threat was posed by the Dukes, as Xavier’s lead never fell below 17 points in the second half, and the Musketeers stretched their lead to over 20 for good by around the 14-minute mark off a Stanley Burrell (4 pts, 12 assists) jumper.
A large concern heading into the game was how Xavier would be able to break the fast, suffocating press of Duquesne with their ultimate press-breaker, Drew Lavender (5 pts), still lame from an ankle injury sustained versus Charlotte over a week ago. Burrell spearheaded Xavier’s press attack with precise passing, allowing the Musketeers to beat the Dukes down the floor nearly every possession, leading to fast-break opportunities. The Musketeers would dish out 22 assists to 29 field goals.
CJ Anderson (13 pts, 10 reb), Derrick Brown (13 pts, 11 reb) and Jason Love (12 pts, 6 reb) were the beneficiaries of such precision, creating easy opportunities inside and an insurmountable lead a typically poor-shooting Duquesne team would be unable to overcome.
More importantly, Burrell’s mastery of the Duquesne press allowed Lavender much-needed respite for an upcoming stretch that includes road games at Dayton and St. Joseph’s. Lavender played just 14 minutes, allowing Lavender and freshman Danté Jackson (4 pts) to hold down the point guard duties. Anderson and Brown each scored a double-double, helping Xavier’s interior game win the battle of the boards against the conference’s top rebounding team, 39-31.
With the victory, Xavier’s win streak improves to a season-high nine games, and the Musketeers improve to 20-0 when four or more players score in double-figures. Three players on Xavier’s team shared the game-high of 13 points. Reggie Jackson and Shawn James paced the Dukes’ attack with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Musketeers will head up I-75 on Sunday to take on the conference rival Dayton Flyers (17-8, 5-7) for a rematch at 2 p.m. The Flyers will be looking to avenge a 69-43 thumping they received in Cincinnati last month. A win at UD Arena would extend Xavier’s winning streak over Dayton to five games, and would also guarantee Xavier at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season crown. Dayton is coming off an 81-78 overtime loss to the La Salle Explorers.