Burrell Leads #23 Xavier’s Thumping Of Hobbled #16 Flyers

**kyxu** · 01-24-2008, 11:24 PM

When watching a rivalry game, expect the unexpected. In this case, the unexpected was how well Stanley Burrell was able to bottle up arguably the A-10’s premier scorer, Dayton’s Brian Roberts, en route to an impressive 69-43 victory for Xavier (16-4, 4-1).

Previously, Burrell had risen to the occasion against Indiana’s Eric Gordon, Virginia’s Sean Singletary and Tennessee's Chris Lofton, but players like Gordon were able to get their points in the end. Roberts, on the other hand, who came into the game averaging 20.1 per, couldn’t shake the determined Xavier senior, going just 2-for-5 from the field in 24 minutes of action. To Roberts’ defense, he had been battling flu-like symptoms, but with more than a week to prepare, Dayton (14-3, 2-2) could not devise a plan to get their star free off the ball.

On the other end of the floor, Burrell lead the offensive charge, scoring 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. For Roberts, the game began inauspiciously, as he picked up a foul inside on Xavier’s opening possession. After Derrick Brown hit one of two free throws, Dayton took their first and only lead of the game off a pair of Andres Sandoval (2 points) free throws. From there, things quickly unraveled for the Flyers, as Xavier took off on a 14-2 run to stake a lead they would never relinquish.

Without two key inside players for Dayton -- super-frosh Chris Wright and reigning all-conference sixth man Charles Little -- Xavier was able to first pound the ball inside before testing the perimeter, where they would go 11-for-23 from long range. Jason Love (4 pts, 7 reb) scored Xavier’s first field goal, followed by a put-back by CJ Anderson (5 pts, 8 reb). Burrell drove and dropped in a two before Josh Duncan (11 pts, 4 reb) splashed a three from the top of the key, and BJ Raymond (12 pts) stroked a three from the wing to make it 13-4.

One of the evening’s big highlights came when a Jimmie Binnie three was deflected and corralled by Drew Lavender (3 pts, 6 assists, 7 reb), who pushed the ball ahead to Brown on the fly. Brown would finish the break with a thundering jam that brought the buzzing crowd to a roar and the score to 21-8. Xavier then rode hot outside-shooting from Raymond, Duncan and Danté Jackson (6 points) to a 36-18 halftime lead.

The second half began much like the first ended. Five of Xavier’s first seven buckets in the second half were threes, which put insurmountable space between the Musketeers and the Flyers: 55-28 Xavier. At times, the game held a frenetic pace, as both teams coughed up 15 turnovers.

But Xavier’s interior players prevented many second-chance opportunities, holding a 41-24 rebounding edge. Anderson, in particular, played a lunch pail game, pacing the Musketeers with 8 rebounds. Jackson and Adrion Graves (6 points) both played meaningful minutes, allowing the starters to rest for a good portion of the route. The lead would grow to as much as 33 points, thanks to a Graves three. But both coaches chose to clear their benches, providing a closer final margin. Marcus Johnson lead the Flyers with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting. The Flyers, who were second in the conference in three-point percentage, connected on just 2-of-18 attempts from beyond the arc.

The victory extends Xavier’s home winning streak over Dayton to 23 games, and places the Musketeers, momentarily, atop the Atlantic 10 standings at 4-1. The downside is that Xavier won’t have much time to celebrate, as they must regroup for a road trip to Amherst to take on the UMass Minutemen (13-5, 2-2) at noon on Sunday. The Minutemen are coming off an 81-77 loss on Hawk Hill to SJU.

Article recap provided by kyxu. Click HERE to check out his member profile.