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01-28-2010, 11:46 PM
Xavier frontcourt, defense dump Duquesne, 86-50
by Mike Damone
The Musketeers entered Thursday night’s game against Duquesne in a three-way tie for first in the Atlantic 10, needing just a win to inch ahead in the standings. Xavier (14-6, 6-1) did just that, and looked like a first-place team in doing so, registering five players in double-figures on its way to an 86-50 thumping of the Dukes.
As a team that typically goes with a smaller, quicker lineup, Duquesne (10-10, 1-5) was rendered ineffective by Xavier’s bigger, more skilled forwards, as well as the Dukes’ inability to connect from distance. Duquesne shot just 16 percent from three, and 32 percent overall.
A 13-0 run with 12:15 left in the game helped Xavier turn a comfortable 17-point lead into a debilitating 30-point margin that spanned a little more than two minutes. A pair of hoop-and-fouls from Jordan Crawford (17 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) and Mark Lyons (10 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) got the run started, and was capped by a three from Terrell Holloway (11 pts, 7 ast) to give the Musketeers the 62-32 lead.
The Xavier defense never let up as the Dukes never got any closer than 27 the rest of the way. The Musketeers were clicking from the field, and in the few instances where their guards couldn’t connect, Kenny Frease (13 pts, 12 reb) and Jason Love (17 pts, 9 reb) were there to collect and finish. Love and Frease had their way with the undersized Duquesne frontcourt, able to either receive the entry pass deep into the Dukes’ defense or back their way in to score.
The dominance allowed Xavier coach Chris Mack to empty his bench relatively early, with reserve Jeff Robinson’s (4 pt, 3 reb) put-back the only points scored in the final three minutes of the contest.
Mack made some public noise regarding the development of Frease, but the sophomore center – who was out of the starting lineup for the first time since December – answered his coach’s challenge, earning his first career double-double. A lay-up in traffic from Frease gave Xavier its first double-digit lead of the night, 12-2, with under 13 to go in the first half.
Frease only recorded six points in the first half, but pulled down nine boards in that span. The Musketeers dominated Duquesne on the glass, 47-26, led by Frease’s 12 rebounds and Love’s nine. Love also proved unstoppable on the offensive end, missing just one of his nine field goal attempts.
Xavier didn’t lean exclusively on its big guys. The Musketeers shot 41 percent from three, and used the long ball judiciously as a rally killer for any Duquesne charges. Crawford canned a three to put Xavier up 20, 38-18, with 3:34 to go in the first half, and held such a margin, 43-23, at the intermission.
Crawford and Love scored a game-high 17, followed by 13 from Frease, 11 from Holloway and 10 from Lyons. Melquan Bolding (14 pts, 5 reb) led the Dukes with 14 and was his team’s lone double-figure contributor. Damian Saunders (6 pts, 8 reb) came into the game averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds, but came away with just 6 and 8, respectively.
Xavier will conclude its three-game homestand on Sunday when it takes on the Fordham Rams at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Rams (2-17, 0-7) are coming off an 80-73 loss to the La Salle Explorers. The Musketeers swept the series last season against the Rams, winning 86-60 at Rose Hill in the Bronx and 88-53 in Cincinnati.
by Mike Damone
The Musketeers entered Thursday night’s game against Duquesne in a three-way tie for first in the Atlantic 10, needing just a win to inch ahead in the standings. Xavier (14-6, 6-1) did just that, and looked like a first-place team in doing so, registering five players in double-figures on its way to an 86-50 thumping of the Dukes.
As a team that typically goes with a smaller, quicker lineup, Duquesne (10-10, 1-5) was rendered ineffective by Xavier’s bigger, more skilled forwards, as well as the Dukes’ inability to connect from distance. Duquesne shot just 16 percent from three, and 32 percent overall.
A 13-0 run with 12:15 left in the game helped Xavier turn a comfortable 17-point lead into a debilitating 30-point margin that spanned a little more than two minutes. A pair of hoop-and-fouls from Jordan Crawford (17 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) and Mark Lyons (10 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast) got the run started, and was capped by a three from Terrell Holloway (11 pts, 7 ast) to give the Musketeers the 62-32 lead.
The Xavier defense never let up as the Dukes never got any closer than 27 the rest of the way. The Musketeers were clicking from the field, and in the few instances where their guards couldn’t connect, Kenny Frease (13 pts, 12 reb) and Jason Love (17 pts, 9 reb) were there to collect and finish. Love and Frease had their way with the undersized Duquesne frontcourt, able to either receive the entry pass deep into the Dukes’ defense or back their way in to score.
The dominance allowed Xavier coach Chris Mack to empty his bench relatively early, with reserve Jeff Robinson’s (4 pt, 3 reb) put-back the only points scored in the final three minutes of the contest.
Mack made some public noise regarding the development of Frease, but the sophomore center – who was out of the starting lineup for the first time since December – answered his coach’s challenge, earning his first career double-double. A lay-up in traffic from Frease gave Xavier its first double-digit lead of the night, 12-2, with under 13 to go in the first half.
Frease only recorded six points in the first half, but pulled down nine boards in that span. The Musketeers dominated Duquesne on the glass, 47-26, led by Frease’s 12 rebounds and Love’s nine. Love also proved unstoppable on the offensive end, missing just one of his nine field goal attempts.
Xavier didn’t lean exclusively on its big guys. The Musketeers shot 41 percent from three, and used the long ball judiciously as a rally killer for any Duquesne charges. Crawford canned a three to put Xavier up 20, 38-18, with 3:34 to go in the first half, and held such a margin, 43-23, at the intermission.
Crawford and Love scored a game-high 17, followed by 13 from Frease, 11 from Holloway and 10 from Lyons. Melquan Bolding (14 pts, 5 reb) led the Dukes with 14 and was his team’s lone double-figure contributor. Damian Saunders (6 pts, 8 reb) came into the game averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds, but came away with just 6 and 8, respectively.
Xavier will conclude its three-game homestand on Sunday when it takes on the Fordham Rams at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Rams (2-17, 0-7) are coming off an 80-73 loss to the La Salle Explorers. The Musketeers swept the series last season against the Rams, winning 86-60 at Rose Hill in the Bronx and 88-53 in Cincinnati.