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11-21-2008, 05:31 PM
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj89/xhoops/74ecc10c-31d0-4f07-b7cf-76d634f5857.jpgJackson’s half-court heave sinks Hokies in OT, 63-62
By Mike Damone
For the second consecutive day, the Xavier Musketeers (4-0) pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. They trailed the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1) by sizable margins Friday afternoon, and each time they either cut the lead to a single possession, or tied. A day after trailing Missouri by as many as seven, and leaning on some missed free throws by the opposition to pull one out, Xavier rallied again and took their next opponent to overtime. But after a tip-in by the Hokies with just ticks left on the clock, it looked like the Musketeers’ good fortune would expire.
Xavier’s de facto point guard, sophomore Dante Jackson, scored just five points during Xavier’s win in the second round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic in San Juan, but numbers 3, 4 and 5 were huge.
After Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen (22 pts, 11 reb) tipped in a Dorenzo Hudson (10 points) miss, Xavier had just 1.9 seconds to get a shot off. Junior Jason Love (5 pts, 3 reb) inbounded the ball to Jackson (5 pts, 6 reb), who took two dribbles up the right sideline before heaving the rock from the timeline with .3 seconds left. The kissed glass and dropped through the net, sending the Xavier bench into a frenzy, and the Musketeers to the Championship Game for a match-up with the defending national runner-up, the #12 Memphis Tigers (4-0).
With Xavier trailing in overtime, 56-54, Jackson came up with a steal off a bobbled ball from VaTech’s AD Vassallo (4 pts, 10 reb). Jackson was fouled, and calmly drained both freebies – his first two points of the game. Vassallo’s fadeaway pushed the Hokie lead back to one later in overtime, 58-57, before CJ Anderson (13 points) scored inside to give Xavier the lead back, 59-58. A pair of Hudson free throws gave the lead back to VaTech, 60-59, but with just over 13 seconds left freshman Terrell Holloway (3 assists) found classmate Kenny Frease (9 pts, 5 reb) in the lane for an opening. Frease wasn’t able to hit, but was fouled and went to the line.
Frease swished the first, but couldn’t connect on the second, giving VaTech a chance to win the game. Hudson’s midrange shot rimmed out before Allen came unchecked from the left side to seemingly give the Hokies the win. But Love took the ball out with 1.9 second left, and found Jackson streaking down the right sideline for an open shot, which banked in for the 63-62 Xavier win.
Xavier’ miraculous win seems all the more unlikely considering the offensive woes during regulation. The Musketeers shot just 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from three, and 37.7 percent from the field. In addition, Xavier lost the battle on the glass, 36-35, for the first time this season. But the Musketeers continued to fight. Twice in the second half they trailed the Hokies by 10, and both times they used 6-0 and 7-0 runs to keep it close.
VaTech’s Malcom Delaney (15 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb) gave the Hokies a 52-45 lead with just over five minutes to go in regulation. Neither team scored for more than a minute, until junior Derrick Brown (16 pts, 6 reb) connected on a long ball from the left wing to trim the deficit, 52-48. Anderson and Frease connected on four consecutive free throws to tie the game, 52-52. Both teams would go scoreless for the remainder of regulation, as Xavier held the Hokies without a point for the final 5:13 of the second half.
The first half was as hotly contested. The Hokies took a 23-17 lead off a Hudson lay-up with 4:03 to go, but a pair of free throws by sophomore Jamel McLean (8 pts, 4 reb) and a pair of buckets inside from Frease kept Xavier close at halftime, trailing 25-23.
Xavier now moves on to the Championship Game on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. to take on the Memphis Tigers. A win would likely vault Xavier into the top 20, with a close loss possibly giving them a top 25 debut. Memphis is coming off an 84-70 victory over Seton Hall.
By Mike Damone
For the second consecutive day, the Xavier Musketeers (4-0) pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. They trailed the Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1) by sizable margins Friday afternoon, and each time they either cut the lead to a single possession, or tied. A day after trailing Missouri by as many as seven, and leaning on some missed free throws by the opposition to pull one out, Xavier rallied again and took their next opponent to overtime. But after a tip-in by the Hokies with just ticks left on the clock, it looked like the Musketeers’ good fortune would expire.
Xavier’s de facto point guard, sophomore Dante Jackson, scored just five points during Xavier’s win in the second round of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic in San Juan, but numbers 3, 4 and 5 were huge.
After Virginia Tech’s Jeff Allen (22 pts, 11 reb) tipped in a Dorenzo Hudson (10 points) miss, Xavier had just 1.9 seconds to get a shot off. Junior Jason Love (5 pts, 3 reb) inbounded the ball to Jackson (5 pts, 6 reb), who took two dribbles up the right sideline before heaving the rock from the timeline with .3 seconds left. The kissed glass and dropped through the net, sending the Xavier bench into a frenzy, and the Musketeers to the Championship Game for a match-up with the defending national runner-up, the #12 Memphis Tigers (4-0).
With Xavier trailing in overtime, 56-54, Jackson came up with a steal off a bobbled ball from VaTech’s AD Vassallo (4 pts, 10 reb). Jackson was fouled, and calmly drained both freebies – his first two points of the game. Vassallo’s fadeaway pushed the Hokie lead back to one later in overtime, 58-57, before CJ Anderson (13 points) scored inside to give Xavier the lead back, 59-58. A pair of Hudson free throws gave the lead back to VaTech, 60-59, but with just over 13 seconds left freshman Terrell Holloway (3 assists) found classmate Kenny Frease (9 pts, 5 reb) in the lane for an opening. Frease wasn’t able to hit, but was fouled and went to the line.
Frease swished the first, but couldn’t connect on the second, giving VaTech a chance to win the game. Hudson’s midrange shot rimmed out before Allen came unchecked from the left side to seemingly give the Hokies the win. But Love took the ball out with 1.9 second left, and found Jackson streaking down the right sideline for an open shot, which banked in for the 63-62 Xavier win.
Xavier’ miraculous win seems all the more unlikely considering the offensive woes during regulation. The Musketeers shot just 22.2 percent (4-for-18) from three, and 37.7 percent from the field. In addition, Xavier lost the battle on the glass, 36-35, for the first time this season. But the Musketeers continued to fight. Twice in the second half they trailed the Hokies by 10, and both times they used 6-0 and 7-0 runs to keep it close.
VaTech’s Malcom Delaney (15 pts, 5 ast, 3 reb) gave the Hokies a 52-45 lead with just over five minutes to go in regulation. Neither team scored for more than a minute, until junior Derrick Brown (16 pts, 6 reb) connected on a long ball from the left wing to trim the deficit, 52-48. Anderson and Frease connected on four consecutive free throws to tie the game, 52-52. Both teams would go scoreless for the remainder of regulation, as Xavier held the Hokies without a point for the final 5:13 of the second half.
The first half was as hotly contested. The Hokies took a 23-17 lead off a Hudson lay-up with 4:03 to go, but a pair of free throws by sophomore Jamel McLean (8 pts, 4 reb) and a pair of buckets inside from Frease kept Xavier close at halftime, trailing 25-23.
Xavier now moves on to the Championship Game on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. to take on the Memphis Tigers. A win would likely vault Xavier into the top 20, with a close loss possibly giving them a top 25 debut. Memphis is coming off an 84-70 victory over Seton Hall.