kyxu
03-04-2010, 12:36 AM
Balanced effort tips Fordham in #25 Xavier’s final road swing, 82-56
by Mike Damone
Perhaps the most impressive feat of Xavier’s 2009-10 basketball season is the lack of a “head-scratching” loss on Xavier’s postseason resume. The Musketeers (22-7, 13-2) had their share of scares this year, winning by single digits to La Salle and UMass – two teams who have combined for just eight conference wins this season.
With that in mind, it was difficult to conceive of a scenario where the Musketeers could falter against the hapless Fordham Rams (2-25, 0-15) – losers of 19-straight heading into the Bronx’s historic Rose Hill Gymnasium Wednesday night. Xavier kept the impressive trend going, dominating the bottom-dwelling Rams, 82-56.
The Rams looked energized to spring the upset with their hot-shooting early on, and actually took a 15-13 lead off an Alberto Estwick (11 pts, 3 reb) triple 5:40 into the game. Xavier couldn’t distance itself from Fordham, and the Rams regained the lead again, 22-21, off a Rayner Moquete (4 pts, 2 ast) layup.
Just a few moments later, Mark Lyons (11 pts, 4 reb) gave Xavier the lead for good, 24-22, with a three with under nine minutes to go in the first half. Jamel McLean (16 pts, 8 reb) continued to dominate the interior, scoring Xavier’s next six points and helping them to a 30-24 lead.
A short jumper from Terrell Holloway (14 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast) gave Xavier its first double-digit lead, 38-28, and McLean extended Xavier’s lead, 42-31, with a thundering jam off a feed from Jordan Crawford (11 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast). Lyons canned another three off a screen to give Xavier a 14-point advantage at the intermission, 45-31.
A pair of free throws from McLean stretched Xavier’s lead to 20, 55-35, just three minutes into the second half, and Fordham got no closer. The Musketeers never allowed the Rams to threaten their lead, but maintained a pace that prevented the game from getting out of hand in their opponent’s final home game.
With Xavier leading by 22, the Musketeers went on a modest 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the night. Kenny Frease (7 pts, 7 reb) scored on a tip-in and a free throw, Holloway drove and scored and Brian Walsh (4 pts, 2 reb) capped the run with a long jumper to put Xavier up 82-53 with 2:48 left.
Xavier pumped the breaks somewhat, as Mack emptied his bench to play out the final moments.
McLean notched a game-high 16 points to go with eight rebounds. Holloway added 14, with Crawford and Lyons each chipping in 11. Chris Gaston led the Rams with 15 points and 13 rebounds, followed by Brenton Butler’s (13 pts, 4 reb) 13 and Estwick’s 11.
Xavier’s inside-outside threat of Jason Love (8 pts, 13 reb) and Crawford performed modestly on the offensive end, but combined for 21 rebounds and eight assists.
After shooting 44 percent in the game’s opening minutes to keep the contest close, the Rams cooled from the field, finishing at just a 34 percent clip for the game. The Musketeers also out-rebounded the Rams, 56-41.
Xavier returns home to take on the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Musketeers’ final game of the regular season. Winners of four-straight, the Bonnies (14-14, 7-8) are coming off 92-80 victory over Duquesne. In last year’s meeting in Olean, Xavier buried the St. Bonaventure, 84-64.
The Xavier program will also bid farewell Saturday to its lone senior Love, who became the winningest player in the program’s history at 104 victories Wednesday night. The senior from Philadelphia has been lauded by many close to the program as the epitome of a “Xavier man,” possessing an indelible work ethic, selflessness, humility and commitment to winning.
by Mike Damone
Perhaps the most impressive feat of Xavier’s 2009-10 basketball season is the lack of a “head-scratching” loss on Xavier’s postseason resume. The Musketeers (22-7, 13-2) had their share of scares this year, winning by single digits to La Salle and UMass – two teams who have combined for just eight conference wins this season.
With that in mind, it was difficult to conceive of a scenario where the Musketeers could falter against the hapless Fordham Rams (2-25, 0-15) – losers of 19-straight heading into the Bronx’s historic Rose Hill Gymnasium Wednesday night. Xavier kept the impressive trend going, dominating the bottom-dwelling Rams, 82-56.
The Rams looked energized to spring the upset with their hot-shooting early on, and actually took a 15-13 lead off an Alberto Estwick (11 pts, 3 reb) triple 5:40 into the game. Xavier couldn’t distance itself from Fordham, and the Rams regained the lead again, 22-21, off a Rayner Moquete (4 pts, 2 ast) layup.
Just a few moments later, Mark Lyons (11 pts, 4 reb) gave Xavier the lead for good, 24-22, with a three with under nine minutes to go in the first half. Jamel McLean (16 pts, 8 reb) continued to dominate the interior, scoring Xavier’s next six points and helping them to a 30-24 lead.
A short jumper from Terrell Holloway (14 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast) gave Xavier its first double-digit lead, 38-28, and McLean extended Xavier’s lead, 42-31, with a thundering jam off a feed from Jordan Crawford (11 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast). Lyons canned another three off a screen to give Xavier a 14-point advantage at the intermission, 45-31.
A pair of free throws from McLean stretched Xavier’s lead to 20, 55-35, just three minutes into the second half, and Fordham got no closer. The Musketeers never allowed the Rams to threaten their lead, but maintained a pace that prevented the game from getting out of hand in their opponent’s final home game.
With Xavier leading by 22, the Musketeers went on a modest 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the night. Kenny Frease (7 pts, 7 reb) scored on a tip-in and a free throw, Holloway drove and scored and Brian Walsh (4 pts, 2 reb) capped the run with a long jumper to put Xavier up 82-53 with 2:48 left.
Xavier pumped the breaks somewhat, as Mack emptied his bench to play out the final moments.
McLean notched a game-high 16 points to go with eight rebounds. Holloway added 14, with Crawford and Lyons each chipping in 11. Chris Gaston led the Rams with 15 points and 13 rebounds, followed by Brenton Butler’s (13 pts, 4 reb) 13 and Estwick’s 11.
Xavier’s inside-outside threat of Jason Love (8 pts, 13 reb) and Crawford performed modestly on the offensive end, but combined for 21 rebounds and eight assists.
After shooting 44 percent in the game’s opening minutes to keep the contest close, the Rams cooled from the field, finishing at just a 34 percent clip for the game. The Musketeers also out-rebounded the Rams, 56-41.
Xavier returns home to take on the St. Bonaventure Bonnies on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Musketeers’ final game of the regular season. Winners of four-straight, the Bonnies (14-14, 7-8) are coming off 92-80 victory over Duquesne. In last year’s meeting in Olean, Xavier buried the St. Bonaventure, 84-64.
The Xavier program will also bid farewell Saturday to its lone senior Love, who became the winningest player in the program’s history at 104 victories Wednesday night. The senior from Philadelphia has been lauded by many close to the program as the epitome of a “Xavier man,” possessing an indelible work ethic, selflessness, humility and commitment to winning.