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01-04-2010, 12:46 AM
Musketeers fade in tribute game, fall to Wake Forest in double OT, 96-92
by Mike Damone
It was easy for the magnitude of Sunday evening’s game on the campus at Wake Forest University to get lost in the solemnity of honoring the late Skip Prosser – a coach that greatly impacted the programs at Xavier and Wake Forest.
But after the dust settled in a hotly-contested first edition of the Skip Prosser Classic that ultimately went to the Demon Deacons, 96-92 – a game that saw 16 ties, 16 lead changes and required two overtimes to decide the outcome – it must be apparent to the Musketeers (8-5) that the margin for error in gaining their fifth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their 21st in school history has grown incredibly tighter with another loss.
The Musketeers were in position to claim their first road victory of the season, leading Wake Forest (11-2) 85-82 with just 35 seconds to go in the first overtime. Jamel McLean (21 pts, 10 reb) broke a tie game when he was fouled while putting in a feed from Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 3 ast) from the baseline to put the Musketeers up by a pair, 84-82. He would miss the free throw, but later pulled down Ari Stewart’s (7 pts, 4 reb) miss on the ensuing Wake possession while getting fouled. McLean would again miss a freebie before hitting the second to put Xavier up three.
Wake’s Ishmael Smith (28 pts, 9 ast, 4 reb) came in to the game shooting just 16 percent from deep, but connected on all three of his attempts against the Musketeers, including his final three-point offering from the wing that tied the game at 85 with 26 seconds to go in the first overtime.
Xavier had a chance to win the game on the last shot, but Holloway’s lay-up attempt was blocked, sending the game to a second overtime. Jordan Crawford (30 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast) put Xavier on the board first, 87-85, with a pair of free throws, but it would be its final lead, as Smith took over and willed his Deacons to the victory.
After Crawford tied the game on a driving lay-up, Smith corralled Al-Farouq Aminu’s (26 pts, 18 reb) miss and drained a short jumper with 3:08 to go to give Wake back the lead. When Crawford misfired on Xavier’s next possession, Smith grabbed the rebound and fed C.J. Harris (15 pts, 3 reb) for the easy fastbreak bucket to put the Demon Deacons up four, 93-89, with 2:36 left.
Crawford made one of two free throws to make it a one-possession game, but Holloway’s two three-point attempts on consecutive possessions to tie the game went begging, and Wake Forest survived in overtime when Harris sank the game-clinching free throws to ice it. The Musketeers came in to the game as the better three-point shooting team, but went just 5-for-23 from long-range on the night. Holloway especially struggled from distance with just a 1-for-7 performance, and 3-for-17 overall.
The Musketeers actually led at the intermission, 43-41, despite shooting just 38 percent to Wake’s 52 in the first half. But Xavier made hay from the free-throw line, and led the taller Demon Deacons on the boards, 26-16. Most importantly, the Musketeers forced the Demon Deacons’ dominant forward Aminu into early foul trouble, allowing Xavier to build as much as a five-point lead in the first half off a pair of free throws from McLean with 1:01 to go. But Harris was fouled on a three-point attempt with a second left, which allowed Wake to trim Xavier’s lead before the intermission.
With Aminu back in the game in the second half, Wake Forest began to take control again, building a 10-point advantage, 59-49, with 13:29 to go in the second half. Aminu scored nine as part of a 13-2 Wake Forest run that gave the Demon Deacons their largest lead, punctuated by a rousing alley-oop jam from Smith to Aminu.
But the Musketeers remained patient over the next six minutes, and eventually tied the game off a Kenny Frease (8 pts, 5 reb) lay-up before Crawford gave Xavier back the lead, 67-65, with a fastbreak dunk with 6:45 to go in the second half.
A long jumper from Crawford stretched Xavier’s lead to four, 76-72, with 2:11 to go, but Smith answered with a three to cut Xavier’s lead to one. Dante Jackson’s pass intended for Holloway was picked by L.D. Williams (10 pts, 4 reb) who took it in for an easy bucket and foul, giving Wake back a two-point lead. Holloway knotted the game at 58 for the Musketeers, and Xavier had a chance to win it in regulation, but Crawford’s fall-away three missed was well short, sending the game to its first overtime.
Neither team took command of the first overtime, with Smith nullifying Xavier’s three-point advantage when he splashed a three from the wing to send the game to the second overtime. The Demon Deacons simply wore down the Musketeers, who, despite multiple chances, were unable to knock down the big shot.
Smith’s 28 points were a career-high, followed by 26 from Aminu. Crawford and McLean also notched career-highs in points, with 30 and 21, respectively. McLean also recorded his second-consecutive double-double.
In the end, the Musketeers had little answer for the tandem of Aminu and Smith, who combined to shoot 63 percent from the field. Xavier struggled offensively, shooting 37 percent for the game, and just 29 percent in the overtime periods. From the line, Xavier shot a respectable 76 percent to Wake’s 55 percent, but the Demon Deacons connected when it counted, besting Xavier in overtime, 62 percent to 57 from the charity stripe.
Xavier begins Atlantic 10 conference play on Thursday when it heads to Philadelphia to take on the La Salle Explorers at 7 p.m. The Explorers (7-6) are coming off a 66-61 loss at Binghamton. Xavier won the last meeting between the teams, 73-53, in Cincinnati.
by Mike Damone
It was easy for the magnitude of Sunday evening’s game on the campus at Wake Forest University to get lost in the solemnity of honoring the late Skip Prosser – a coach that greatly impacted the programs at Xavier and Wake Forest.
But after the dust settled in a hotly-contested first edition of the Skip Prosser Classic that ultimately went to the Demon Deacons, 96-92 – a game that saw 16 ties, 16 lead changes and required two overtimes to decide the outcome – it must be apparent to the Musketeers (8-5) that the margin for error in gaining their fifth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and their 21st in school history has grown incredibly tighter with another loss.
The Musketeers were in position to claim their first road victory of the season, leading Wake Forest (11-2) 85-82 with just 35 seconds to go in the first overtime. Jamel McLean (21 pts, 10 reb) broke a tie game when he was fouled while putting in a feed from Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 3 ast) from the baseline to put the Musketeers up by a pair, 84-82. He would miss the free throw, but later pulled down Ari Stewart’s (7 pts, 4 reb) miss on the ensuing Wake possession while getting fouled. McLean would again miss a freebie before hitting the second to put Xavier up three.
Wake’s Ishmael Smith (28 pts, 9 ast, 4 reb) came in to the game shooting just 16 percent from deep, but connected on all three of his attempts against the Musketeers, including his final three-point offering from the wing that tied the game at 85 with 26 seconds to go in the first overtime.
Xavier had a chance to win the game on the last shot, but Holloway’s lay-up attempt was blocked, sending the game to a second overtime. Jordan Crawford (30 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast) put Xavier on the board first, 87-85, with a pair of free throws, but it would be its final lead, as Smith took over and willed his Deacons to the victory.
After Crawford tied the game on a driving lay-up, Smith corralled Al-Farouq Aminu’s (26 pts, 18 reb) miss and drained a short jumper with 3:08 to go to give Wake back the lead. When Crawford misfired on Xavier’s next possession, Smith grabbed the rebound and fed C.J. Harris (15 pts, 3 reb) for the easy fastbreak bucket to put the Demon Deacons up four, 93-89, with 2:36 left.
Crawford made one of two free throws to make it a one-possession game, but Holloway’s two three-point attempts on consecutive possessions to tie the game went begging, and Wake Forest survived in overtime when Harris sank the game-clinching free throws to ice it. The Musketeers came in to the game as the better three-point shooting team, but went just 5-for-23 from long-range on the night. Holloway especially struggled from distance with just a 1-for-7 performance, and 3-for-17 overall.
The Musketeers actually led at the intermission, 43-41, despite shooting just 38 percent to Wake’s 52 in the first half. But Xavier made hay from the free-throw line, and led the taller Demon Deacons on the boards, 26-16. Most importantly, the Musketeers forced the Demon Deacons’ dominant forward Aminu into early foul trouble, allowing Xavier to build as much as a five-point lead in the first half off a pair of free throws from McLean with 1:01 to go. But Harris was fouled on a three-point attempt with a second left, which allowed Wake to trim Xavier’s lead before the intermission.
With Aminu back in the game in the second half, Wake Forest began to take control again, building a 10-point advantage, 59-49, with 13:29 to go in the second half. Aminu scored nine as part of a 13-2 Wake Forest run that gave the Demon Deacons their largest lead, punctuated by a rousing alley-oop jam from Smith to Aminu.
But the Musketeers remained patient over the next six minutes, and eventually tied the game off a Kenny Frease (8 pts, 5 reb) lay-up before Crawford gave Xavier back the lead, 67-65, with a fastbreak dunk with 6:45 to go in the second half.
A long jumper from Crawford stretched Xavier’s lead to four, 76-72, with 2:11 to go, but Smith answered with a three to cut Xavier’s lead to one. Dante Jackson’s pass intended for Holloway was picked by L.D. Williams (10 pts, 4 reb) who took it in for an easy bucket and foul, giving Wake back a two-point lead. Holloway knotted the game at 58 for the Musketeers, and Xavier had a chance to win it in regulation, but Crawford’s fall-away three missed was well short, sending the game to its first overtime.
Neither team took command of the first overtime, with Smith nullifying Xavier’s three-point advantage when he splashed a three from the wing to send the game to the second overtime. The Demon Deacons simply wore down the Musketeers, who, despite multiple chances, were unable to knock down the big shot.
Smith’s 28 points were a career-high, followed by 26 from Aminu. Crawford and McLean also notched career-highs in points, with 30 and 21, respectively. McLean also recorded his second-consecutive double-double.
In the end, the Musketeers had little answer for the tandem of Aminu and Smith, who combined to shoot 63 percent from the field. Xavier struggled offensively, shooting 37 percent for the game, and just 29 percent in the overtime periods. From the line, Xavier shot a respectable 76 percent to Wake’s 55 percent, but the Demon Deacons connected when it counted, besting Xavier in overtime, 62 percent to 57 from the charity stripe.
Xavier begins Atlantic 10 conference play on Thursday when it heads to Philadelphia to take on the La Salle Explorers at 7 p.m. The Explorers (7-6) are coming off a 66-61 loss at Binghamton. Xavier won the last meeting between the teams, 73-53, in Cincinnati.