kyxu
12-09-2009, 02:03 AM
Frigid Xavier offense snowed in by Manhattan blizzard, K-State, 71-56
by Mike Damone
Though the players and fans packed into Bramlage Coliseum on the campus of Kansas State University were safely walled off from the pounding snowfall outside, the chill of the Kansas evening seemed to permeate the confines of the Wildcats’ venue.
In fact, as bad as both teams’ offense was early on in Tuesday night’s match-up in Manhattan, it would not have been a stretch to surmise both teams could have fared better shooting in the blizzard outdoors.
Unfortunately for Xavier (5-3), the Wildcats (8-1) were the only ones to snap out of their offensive chill, breaking an 18-all tie with 6:27 to go in the first half on their way to a 9-0 run that saw the Musketeers go scoreless for nearly six minutes. From thereon out, Xavier would never seriously challenge the Wildcats, dropping its third game in five contests, 71-56, to Kansas State in Manhattan.
Jordan Henriquez (4 pts, 4 reb) got the run started with a pair of free throws, and Jamar Samuels (11 pts, 8 reb) gave Kansas State its largest lead at that point with a three, 23-18. The Wildcats pieced together another few free throws to complete the run.
In the meantime, Xavier’s offense struggled mightily, compounded by the fact that the Wildcats dominated the Musketeers on the boards in the first half, 26-8. Many of Xavier’s possessions were one-and-done, while the Musketeers allowed the Wildcats multiple second-chance opportunities on the other end.
One of the more such damaging occasions came with the Musketeers trying to chip into Kansas State’s nine-point lead just before the intermission. Sophomore Brad Redford (16 points) knocked down a pair of free throws to trim Xavier’s deficit to seven, 27-20, with just 43 seconds left in the first half. On the ensuing possession, Jacob Pullen’s (16 pts, 3 ast) three rimmed out, but Xavier was unable to collect the rebound and set up for a final shot to further trim the Wildcats’ lead.
Instead, Samuels cleaned up the miss and laid it home while getting fouled, where he would make good on the free throw to give the Wildcats a 30-20 advantage at the intermission. Kansas State’s lead would never dip below single digits for the remainder of the evening.
The second half began inauspiciously for Xavier, with Dominique Sutton (7 pts, 7 reb) scoring inside off the opening possession, then laying home a fastbreak feed from Pullen after Pullen picked Dante Jackson (2 reb), putting the Wildcats up, 34-20, within the blink of an eye.
A jumper by Jordan Crawford (16 pts, 4 reb) followed by a jam off a fastbreak cut the Wildcats’ lead to 11, but K-State would stretch it back out to 17, 45-28, off a triple from Martavious Irving (8 pts, 3 ast) with 14:03 to go.
The Musketeers continued to play catch-up, but often missed on point-blank shots, rendering them incapable of seriously threatening Kansas State’s strangle-hold on the game. A hoop and foul by Crawford brought Xavier to within 10, 56-46, with 6:12 to go, but Curtis Kelly (15 pts, 9 reb) answered right back with a short jumper, putting K-State back up by 12.
Considering Xavier’s inability to string together stops with buckets in order to establish a run, such a lead was essentially insurmountable. In an attempt to slow the tempo and bring the Musketeers closer, Xavier was forced to send the Wildcats to the line often, where they went 10-for-12 to close out the game.
Though the Musketeers rebounded the ball much better in the second half, they were unable to generate any offense in the halfcourt set, thanks to the Wildcats’ swarming interior defense made more effective by their disruptive defense in the backcourt. Xavier shot a season-low 29 percent from the field and three-point range.
Offensively, the game’s opening moments were grueling. The first tally didn’t come for either team until nearly two minutes in when Terrell Holloway (5 points) drove the lane and scored while getting fouled to give Xavier an early 3-0 lead. A long jumper from the top of the key by Irving tied the game at 10, and Wally Judge (2 pts, 5 reb) gave the Wildcats their first lead, 12-10, on a baby hook with just 9:32 to play in the first half.
Redford shook loose for his second three to put Xavier back up, 13-12, and a three from Crawford would give the Musketeers their final lead of the game, 17-16, with 7:15 left in the first half, just before K-State ultimately took control.
Crawford and Redford shared the team- and game-highs of 16 points apiece. Pullen led Kansas State with 16, followed by Kelly’s 15 and 11 from Samuels. The Wildcats also abused the Musketeers on the glass, out-rebounding Xavier 46-33.
The Musketeers now have little time to feel sorry for themselves as they head back home to take on their archrival #19 UC Bearcats at the Cintas Center on Sunday at noon. Xavier will try to win its third-straight in the Crosstown Shootout for the first time since 1984-86. The Musketeers will have to provide a much-improved defensive effort if Chris Mack is to be the first Xavier coach since Pete Gillen in 1986 to win his Crosstown debut. Xavier won last year’s showdown in Clifton, 76-66. The Bearcats (5-1) are coming off a 94-57 victory over Texas Southern.
by Mike Damone
Though the players and fans packed into Bramlage Coliseum on the campus of Kansas State University were safely walled off from the pounding snowfall outside, the chill of the Kansas evening seemed to permeate the confines of the Wildcats’ venue.
In fact, as bad as both teams’ offense was early on in Tuesday night’s match-up in Manhattan, it would not have been a stretch to surmise both teams could have fared better shooting in the blizzard outdoors.
Unfortunately for Xavier (5-3), the Wildcats (8-1) were the only ones to snap out of their offensive chill, breaking an 18-all tie with 6:27 to go in the first half on their way to a 9-0 run that saw the Musketeers go scoreless for nearly six minutes. From thereon out, Xavier would never seriously challenge the Wildcats, dropping its third game in five contests, 71-56, to Kansas State in Manhattan.
Jordan Henriquez (4 pts, 4 reb) got the run started with a pair of free throws, and Jamar Samuels (11 pts, 8 reb) gave Kansas State its largest lead at that point with a three, 23-18. The Wildcats pieced together another few free throws to complete the run.
In the meantime, Xavier’s offense struggled mightily, compounded by the fact that the Wildcats dominated the Musketeers on the boards in the first half, 26-8. Many of Xavier’s possessions were one-and-done, while the Musketeers allowed the Wildcats multiple second-chance opportunities on the other end.
One of the more such damaging occasions came with the Musketeers trying to chip into Kansas State’s nine-point lead just before the intermission. Sophomore Brad Redford (16 points) knocked down a pair of free throws to trim Xavier’s deficit to seven, 27-20, with just 43 seconds left in the first half. On the ensuing possession, Jacob Pullen’s (16 pts, 3 ast) three rimmed out, but Xavier was unable to collect the rebound and set up for a final shot to further trim the Wildcats’ lead.
Instead, Samuels cleaned up the miss and laid it home while getting fouled, where he would make good on the free throw to give the Wildcats a 30-20 advantage at the intermission. Kansas State’s lead would never dip below single digits for the remainder of the evening.
The second half began inauspiciously for Xavier, with Dominique Sutton (7 pts, 7 reb) scoring inside off the opening possession, then laying home a fastbreak feed from Pullen after Pullen picked Dante Jackson (2 reb), putting the Wildcats up, 34-20, within the blink of an eye.
A jumper by Jordan Crawford (16 pts, 4 reb) followed by a jam off a fastbreak cut the Wildcats’ lead to 11, but K-State would stretch it back out to 17, 45-28, off a triple from Martavious Irving (8 pts, 3 ast) with 14:03 to go.
The Musketeers continued to play catch-up, but often missed on point-blank shots, rendering them incapable of seriously threatening Kansas State’s strangle-hold on the game. A hoop and foul by Crawford brought Xavier to within 10, 56-46, with 6:12 to go, but Curtis Kelly (15 pts, 9 reb) answered right back with a short jumper, putting K-State back up by 12.
Considering Xavier’s inability to string together stops with buckets in order to establish a run, such a lead was essentially insurmountable. In an attempt to slow the tempo and bring the Musketeers closer, Xavier was forced to send the Wildcats to the line often, where they went 10-for-12 to close out the game.
Though the Musketeers rebounded the ball much better in the second half, they were unable to generate any offense in the halfcourt set, thanks to the Wildcats’ swarming interior defense made more effective by their disruptive defense in the backcourt. Xavier shot a season-low 29 percent from the field and three-point range.
Offensively, the game’s opening moments were grueling. The first tally didn’t come for either team until nearly two minutes in when Terrell Holloway (5 points) drove the lane and scored while getting fouled to give Xavier an early 3-0 lead. A long jumper from the top of the key by Irving tied the game at 10, and Wally Judge (2 pts, 5 reb) gave the Wildcats their first lead, 12-10, on a baby hook with just 9:32 to play in the first half.
Redford shook loose for his second three to put Xavier back up, 13-12, and a three from Crawford would give the Musketeers their final lead of the game, 17-16, with 7:15 left in the first half, just before K-State ultimately took control.
Crawford and Redford shared the team- and game-highs of 16 points apiece. Pullen led Kansas State with 16, followed by Kelly’s 15 and 11 from Samuels. The Wildcats also abused the Musketeers on the glass, out-rebounding Xavier 46-33.
The Musketeers now have little time to feel sorry for themselves as they head back home to take on their archrival #19 UC Bearcats at the Cintas Center on Sunday at noon. Xavier will try to win its third-straight in the Crosstown Shootout for the first time since 1984-86. The Musketeers will have to provide a much-improved defensive effort if Chris Mack is to be the first Xavier coach since Pete Gillen in 1986 to win his Crosstown debut. Xavier won last year’s showdown in Clifton, 76-66. The Bearcats (5-1) are coming off a 94-57 victory over Texas Southern.