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12-06-2009, 10:47 AM
Xavier’s strong second half controls Kent State, 77-61
by Mike Damone
For much of the first half, it appeared Xavier’s fitful offense against the zone had followed it to Orlando. The Musketeers (5-2) mustered just 17 points over the game’s first 13 minutes, while the Golden Flashes of Kent State built a 12-point lead with 6:44 to go in the first half. The Musketeers appeared stunned.
Xavier couldn’t generate much offense, while the Golden Flashes were doing just enough to keep Xavier from cutting into their lead. Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford (21 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) led the Musketeers early on, as he scored eight of Xavier’s first 17 points. But in the early going, no other Musketeer provided a scoring threat to quell Xavier’s offensive woes.
But with just 4:34 to go in the first half, sophomore Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 5 ast) keyed a 16-3 Xavier run that gave the Musketeers their first lead – one they would never relinquish – off a jumper in the paint by Dante Jackson (9 pts, 2 reb) to send the Musketeers on their way to a closer-than-it-looked 77-61 victory over Kent State Friday night at the Cintas Center.
Holloway started the run with an assist to Crawford on a three, followed by a pair of free throws and a long triple about ten steps behind the three-point line as the shot clock was about to expire. Holloway later tied the game with a steal and lay-up, then dropped the dime to Jackson on his bucket to take the lead.
The Musketeers started the game’s first 14 minutes with just five field goals to seven turnovers, unable to capitalize on their size advantage over the Golden Flashes, take care of the basketball or cash in from the free-throw line. The Musketeers were perhaps were making too much of a concerted effort to share the basketball, but weren’t able to get much going on the offensive end.
Meanwhile, though the Golden Flashes weren’t exactly scoring at a high percentage, they generated enough offensive rebounds and possessions to build a healthy lead. Rod Sherman (6 pts, 5 reb) led the Golden Flashes with six early, and his lay-up gave the Flashes their largest lead of the game, 29-17, before Xavier’s deciding run.
A lay-up by senior Jason Love (10 pts, 10 reb, 3 blk) early in the second half extended Xavier’s lead to four, but the Musketeers were unable to shake Kent State over the second half’s opening minutes. Kent State’s Brandon Parks (9 pts, 5 reb) dunked home an offensive rebound to cut Xavier’s lead to one, 49-48, with 14:01 remaining.
From that point on, Xavier took over, going on a 9-0 run over more than three minutes to put the Musketeers up 10, 58-48, with just under 11 minutes to go. Jackson got a jumper to go in the lane, followed by a lay-up from Andrew Taylor (2 pts, 2 reb), a steal and jam from junior Jamel McLean (8 pts, 7 reb) and capped by a three from the corner from Crawford.
A three from Jackson put the Musketeers up 11, 62-51, with just over nine minutes left, and an outstanding sequence from Love led to an easy bucket by Crawford to put the Musketeers up 12 with under five minutes to play. Love rose up for a powerful block on Parks then saved the ball from going out of bounds by finding Holloway who fed Crawford on the fastbreak.
A three-pointer from Tyree Evans (6 points) cut the Musketeers’ lead to 10, but Xavier scored the game’s final six points off four-consecutive free throws from Holloway and Love, and a lay-up from Love off an assist from Holloway to beat the shot clock and provide the final margin.
Despite Kent State establishing the early tempo, Xavier held the Golden Flashes to just 36 percent shooting. The Musketeers overcame 19 turnovers to shoot 57 percent from the floor, including 45 percent from three.
Crawford led all scorers with 21, followed by 13 from Holloway. Kent State was led by 13 apiece from Justin Greene (13 pts, 4 reb) and Mike McKee. Love also added another double-double to his season total.
The Musketeers now enter a critical stretch of their non-conference schedule as they head to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Big 12 foe the Kansas State Wildcats on Tuesday at 9 p.m. The Wildcats (7-1) are coming off an 86-69 win over Washington State on Saturday. Kansas State will be looking to avenge a 103-77 thumping suffered at the hands of the Musketeers on New Year’s Eve 2007 in Cincinnati.
by Mike Damone
For much of the first half, it appeared Xavier’s fitful offense against the zone had followed it to Orlando. The Musketeers (5-2) mustered just 17 points over the game’s first 13 minutes, while the Golden Flashes of Kent State built a 12-point lead with 6:44 to go in the first half. The Musketeers appeared stunned.
Xavier couldn’t generate much offense, while the Golden Flashes were doing just enough to keep Xavier from cutting into their lead. Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford (21 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) led the Musketeers early on, as he scored eight of Xavier’s first 17 points. But in the early going, no other Musketeer provided a scoring threat to quell Xavier’s offensive woes.
But with just 4:34 to go in the first half, sophomore Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 5 ast) keyed a 16-3 Xavier run that gave the Musketeers their first lead – one they would never relinquish – off a jumper in the paint by Dante Jackson (9 pts, 2 reb) to send the Musketeers on their way to a closer-than-it-looked 77-61 victory over Kent State Friday night at the Cintas Center.
Holloway started the run with an assist to Crawford on a three, followed by a pair of free throws and a long triple about ten steps behind the three-point line as the shot clock was about to expire. Holloway later tied the game with a steal and lay-up, then dropped the dime to Jackson on his bucket to take the lead.
The Musketeers started the game’s first 14 minutes with just five field goals to seven turnovers, unable to capitalize on their size advantage over the Golden Flashes, take care of the basketball or cash in from the free-throw line. The Musketeers were perhaps were making too much of a concerted effort to share the basketball, but weren’t able to get much going on the offensive end.
Meanwhile, though the Golden Flashes weren’t exactly scoring at a high percentage, they generated enough offensive rebounds and possessions to build a healthy lead. Rod Sherman (6 pts, 5 reb) led the Golden Flashes with six early, and his lay-up gave the Flashes their largest lead of the game, 29-17, before Xavier’s deciding run.
A lay-up by senior Jason Love (10 pts, 10 reb, 3 blk) early in the second half extended Xavier’s lead to four, but the Musketeers were unable to shake Kent State over the second half’s opening minutes. Kent State’s Brandon Parks (9 pts, 5 reb) dunked home an offensive rebound to cut Xavier’s lead to one, 49-48, with 14:01 remaining.
From that point on, Xavier took over, going on a 9-0 run over more than three minutes to put the Musketeers up 10, 58-48, with just under 11 minutes to go. Jackson got a jumper to go in the lane, followed by a lay-up from Andrew Taylor (2 pts, 2 reb), a steal and jam from junior Jamel McLean (8 pts, 7 reb) and capped by a three from the corner from Crawford.
A three from Jackson put the Musketeers up 11, 62-51, with just over nine minutes left, and an outstanding sequence from Love led to an easy bucket by Crawford to put the Musketeers up 12 with under five minutes to play. Love rose up for a powerful block on Parks then saved the ball from going out of bounds by finding Holloway who fed Crawford on the fastbreak.
A three-pointer from Tyree Evans (6 points) cut the Musketeers’ lead to 10, but Xavier scored the game’s final six points off four-consecutive free throws from Holloway and Love, and a lay-up from Love off an assist from Holloway to beat the shot clock and provide the final margin.
Despite Kent State establishing the early tempo, Xavier held the Golden Flashes to just 36 percent shooting. The Musketeers overcame 19 turnovers to shoot 57 percent from the floor, including 45 percent from three.
Crawford led all scorers with 21, followed by 13 from Holloway. Kent State was led by 13 apiece from Justin Greene (13 pts, 4 reb) and Mike McKee. Love also added another double-double to his season total.
The Musketeers now enter a critical stretch of their non-conference schedule as they head to Manhattan, Kansas to take on Big 12 foe the Kansas State Wildcats on Tuesday at 9 p.m. The Wildcats (7-1) are coming off an 86-69 win over Washington State on Saturday. Kansas State will be looking to avenge a 103-77 thumping suffered at the hands of the Musketeers on New Year’s Eve 2007 in Cincinnati.