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03-29-2008, 10:05 PM
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Bruin muscle denies #3 Xavier trip to Final Four, 76-57
by Mike Damone
You could say they were due. Though which team you’d consider “due” is open to interpretation. The #1 UCLA Bruins (35-3) were maligned by some of the press leading up to their match-up in the Elite Eight with #3 Xavier for their relative squeakers against Texas A&M and Western Kentucky in the second and third rounds, respectively, of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. But with basketball programs like UCLA’s – which possesses more Division I NCAA Championships in basketball (11) than any other program – bigger games tend to bring out bigger performances.
Xavier had been living somewhat dangerously this Tournament. Whether it was a slow start (Purdue), big second-half deficit (Georgia), poor free-throw shooting (West Virginia), losing the battle of the boards (Purdue) or a blown double-digit lead (West Virginia and Purdue), the #3 Musketeers (30-7) were still able to battle back and pull out exhilarating wins in their march to the Elite Eight. Against a team like UCLA’s, which had made the Final Four the last two seasons, Xavier couldn’t afford even a minute lapse.
A 14-0 run by the Bruins, in a game where offense production was difficult to come by for Xavier, essentially ended one of the most memorable seasons in Xavier basketball history. The run gave the Bruins a seemingly insurmountable 20-point lead, 48-28, with 14:58 left off a Kevin Love (19 pts, 10 reb) three. Xavier got no closer than 12 the rest of the way, and UCLA was able to celebrate a third-consecutive Final Four appearance, 18th overall, in a relatively drama-less fashion.
Xavier battled throughout the first half, but squandered golden opportunities in a game they couldn’t afford to. With Xavier trailing 14-11, Derrick Brown was held on a breakaway opportunity by UCLA’s James Keefe, which drew the whistle for an intentional foul, giving Xavier the potential to take the lead with two free throws and possession. Brown missed both freebies and BJ Raymond (3 points) missed an open three on the free possession, giving the Bruins another opportunity to pull away early.
The closest Xavier would get was from a Jason Love (5 points) lay-up off a Stanley Burrell (8 points) feed out of a trap, but UCLA scored the next four points and kept the Musketeers at arm’s length for most of the second half before Darren Collison (19 pts, 5 ast) hit a jumper just before halftime to give the Bruins a 33-24 lead at the break.
Xavier began the second frame with urgency, cutting the Bruins lead to six, 34-28, off a Drew Lavender (5 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) runner that kissed high off the glass, but the Bruins firmly took control of the game with the decisive run, leading by as many as 22. 69-47, with 4:14 left.
The key to the game for the Musketeers would be how they would contain the Bruins’ dynamic inside-out tandem of Collison and Kevin Love. The two combined for 38 points, while Xavier’s go-to presence of Josh Duncan (11 points) was kept mostly in check by UCLA’s tough interior defense, and an uncharacteristically cold night for Duncan from the perimeter, where he would go only 1-for-6. Derrick Brown (13 pts, 6 reb) provided one of the few bright spots for the Musketeers, finishing on thrilling drives to the basket, including a number of thunderous dunks.
The loss to the Bruins ended arguably the most successful season in Xavier men’s basketball history. There was an overwhelming sense of melancholy as the Xavier seniors Burrell, Duncan and Lavender subbed out of Saturday night’s game with a loss on the scoreboard and tears in their eyes. Still, there isn’t much this senior class should be ashamed of, as the three seniors lead the Xavier Musketeer program to new heights. The 2007-08 Musketeers set the record for most wins in a season (30), highest national ranking at the end of the season (12) and tied the 2003-04 Musketeers for farthest trip through the NCAA Tournament with the second Elite Eight appearance in school history.
With the loss of such leaders like Justin Cage, Justin Doellman and Brandon Cole from last year’s squad, it was difficult to imagine how this year’s edition would carry the torch into the Xavier annals with so many question marks, yet so much talent. Such a promising run through the regular season and the dramatic finishes of the 2008 NCAA Tournament for the Xavier Musketeers have ensured a place in both the Xavier record books and Xavier fans’ hearts. It will forever be remembered as a team of high character and tremendous success on some of the greatest stages in Xavier’s history.
Bruin muscle denies #3 Xavier trip to Final Four, 76-57
by Mike Damone
You could say they were due. Though which team you’d consider “due” is open to interpretation. The #1 UCLA Bruins (35-3) were maligned by some of the press leading up to their match-up in the Elite Eight with #3 Xavier for their relative squeakers against Texas A&M and Western Kentucky in the second and third rounds, respectively, of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. But with basketball programs like UCLA’s – which possesses more Division I NCAA Championships in basketball (11) than any other program – bigger games tend to bring out bigger performances.
Xavier had been living somewhat dangerously this Tournament. Whether it was a slow start (Purdue), big second-half deficit (Georgia), poor free-throw shooting (West Virginia), losing the battle of the boards (Purdue) or a blown double-digit lead (West Virginia and Purdue), the #3 Musketeers (30-7) were still able to battle back and pull out exhilarating wins in their march to the Elite Eight. Against a team like UCLA’s, which had made the Final Four the last two seasons, Xavier couldn’t afford even a minute lapse.
A 14-0 run by the Bruins, in a game where offense production was difficult to come by for Xavier, essentially ended one of the most memorable seasons in Xavier basketball history. The run gave the Bruins a seemingly insurmountable 20-point lead, 48-28, with 14:58 left off a Kevin Love (19 pts, 10 reb) three. Xavier got no closer than 12 the rest of the way, and UCLA was able to celebrate a third-consecutive Final Four appearance, 18th overall, in a relatively drama-less fashion.
Xavier battled throughout the first half, but squandered golden opportunities in a game they couldn’t afford to. With Xavier trailing 14-11, Derrick Brown was held on a breakaway opportunity by UCLA’s James Keefe, which drew the whistle for an intentional foul, giving Xavier the potential to take the lead with two free throws and possession. Brown missed both freebies and BJ Raymond (3 points) missed an open three on the free possession, giving the Bruins another opportunity to pull away early.
The closest Xavier would get was from a Jason Love (5 points) lay-up off a Stanley Burrell (8 points) feed out of a trap, but UCLA scored the next four points and kept the Musketeers at arm’s length for most of the second half before Darren Collison (19 pts, 5 ast) hit a jumper just before halftime to give the Bruins a 33-24 lead at the break.
Xavier began the second frame with urgency, cutting the Bruins lead to six, 34-28, off a Drew Lavender (5 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) runner that kissed high off the glass, but the Bruins firmly took control of the game with the decisive run, leading by as many as 22. 69-47, with 4:14 left.
The key to the game for the Musketeers would be how they would contain the Bruins’ dynamic inside-out tandem of Collison and Kevin Love. The two combined for 38 points, while Xavier’s go-to presence of Josh Duncan (11 points) was kept mostly in check by UCLA’s tough interior defense, and an uncharacteristically cold night for Duncan from the perimeter, where he would go only 1-for-6. Derrick Brown (13 pts, 6 reb) provided one of the few bright spots for the Musketeers, finishing on thrilling drives to the basket, including a number of thunderous dunks.
The loss to the Bruins ended arguably the most successful season in Xavier men’s basketball history. There was an overwhelming sense of melancholy as the Xavier seniors Burrell, Duncan and Lavender subbed out of Saturday night’s game with a loss on the scoreboard and tears in their eyes. Still, there isn’t much this senior class should be ashamed of, as the three seniors lead the Xavier Musketeer program to new heights. The 2007-08 Musketeers set the record for most wins in a season (30), highest national ranking at the end of the season (12) and tied the 2003-04 Musketeers for farthest trip through the NCAA Tournament with the second Elite Eight appearance in school history.
With the loss of such leaders like Justin Cage, Justin Doellman and Brandon Cole from last year’s squad, it was difficult to imagine how this year’s edition would carry the torch into the Xavier annals with so many question marks, yet so much talent. Such a promising run through the regular season and the dramatic finishes of the 2008 NCAA Tournament for the Xavier Musketeers have ensured a place in both the Xavier record books and Xavier fans’ hearts. It will forever be remembered as a team of high character and tremendous success on some of the greatest stages in Xavier’s history.