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11-23-2008, 11:37 PM
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj89/xhoops/28dafceb-8fa2-48a4-b7db-d22a0629-1.jpgXavier captures Puerto Rico Crown, upsets #12 Memphis, 63-58
By Mike Damone
Xavier didn’t feel like waiting until late December to pick up a signature win. Facing a high-flying Memphis Tiger team (4-1) that prides itself on running the opposition ragged with a blistering transition game, an exhausting dribble-drive motion offense and a stifling press, it was easy to see that Xavier’s young guards would be tested to the hilt in Sunday night’s Championship Game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic in San Juan.
That is, unless, Sean Miller and his Musketeers (5-0) forced the Tigers to play their game. Xavier didn’t shoot lights out (37.5 percent from the field, 14.3 percent from three), and didn’t impose their will inside. But they out-worked the Tigers on the glass (39-37), played great team defense (34 percent shooting for Memphis) and made their free throws in crunch time (9-for-12 down the stretch, 67.6 percent overall).
The latter of which could not be said for the defending national runner-up. In the final 5:30 of regulation, and the game still razor-close, the Tigers shot just 2-for-9 from the free-throw line. For the game, the Tigers shot a miserable 50 percent from the stripe, harkening back to last season’s national championship game where the Tigers had the eventual national champion Kansas Jayhawks on the ropes, only to miss the clinching free throws and allow Kansas to tie the game in regulation, before ultimately winning in overtime.
The stakes weren’t quite as high on Sunday night, but the problems remained for Memphis. And while the Tigers couldn’t find their legs at the line, Xavier made the most of their opportunities, going 9-for-12 from the line in the final six minutes, including a perfect 4-for-4 down the stretch from freshman Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 3 reb), who once again hit all 10 of his attempts.
Xavier held the lead from one minute into the game, until Memphis’ Doneal Mack (9 pts, 3 reb) hit a three from the top of the key to give the Tigers the lead, 52-51, with just over six minutes left. Xavier didn’t panic. They worked the ball across the perimeter until Holloway found a seam, took it to the basic and drew the foul, where he cashed in both and gave Xavier the lead back, 53-52.
On Memphis’ next possession, Robert Dozier (10 pts, 6 reb) had a chance to give the Tigers back the lead from the line, but he only connected on the first, and Xavier was able to take back the lead for good, when Jason Love (5 pts, 12 reb) hit the first of his two free throws on Xavier’s next possession.
Likely the biggest play of the evening came on Memphis’ next possession with the Musketeers leading, 54-53. Sophomore Dante Jackson (7 pts, 3 reb) made a clean pick of Antonio Anderson (10 pts, 9 reb) and took it to the hole, having his shot goal-tended and drawing the foul to give Xavier a four-point lead, 57-53.
Xavier almost gave it right back, however. With the Musketeers still leading 57-54 with 1:18 to play, Mack missed both free throws, but Dozier skyed over Derrick Brown (2 pts, 2 reb) for the rebound, and fed Mack for a short jumper to cut Xavier’s lead to one, 57-56. Brown would redeem himself, drawing a foul inside on Xavier's next possession and nailing both free throws to push Xavier’s lead back to three, 59-56, with just under a minute remaining.
Super frosh Tyreke Evans (12 pts, 4 reb) inched Memphis closer with a lay-in, 59-58, before Xavier ultimately put the game away. Memphis didn’t score again. Out of the Xavier timeout, Holloway drew yet another Memphis foul, and went to the line where he calmly dropped both, putting Xavier’s lead back at three with only 27 seconds left.
On the next possession for Memphis, the Tigers grabbed the offensive board and were fouled off Evans’ potentially game-tying three-point attempt, but Dozier missed on both. Arguably, the biggest play of the game ensued off the rebound from the second miss, as the ball seemed to be sure in Dozier's hands. But Holloway came through to tip the ball out and away to Jackson, who grabbed it and was fouled. Jackson and senior CJ Anderson (10 pts, 7 reb) put the game away from the line, giving Xavier its second regular season tournament title in as many years. Anderson would be named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
The first half, like every other game Xavier was involved in during this tournament, was a tight one. A Mack free throw gave Memphis the early 1-0 lead, but Anderson scored the next two buckets to give Xavier an early 4-1 lead, before Love and Jackson pushed it out to 7-1.
Sophomore Jamel McLean (11 pts, 4 reb) kept Xavier on top in the first half, with 11 first-half points, thanks to a relentless presence on the offensive glass, highlighted by a great feed down that resulted in a slam. Xavier would go on to lead 32-29 at the half. Senior BJ Raymond (11 pts, 5 reb) also hit big shot after big shot during both halves to keep Xavier on top.
The key to Xavier’s success Sunday night was to keep a team like Memphis from playing their game – a game that included averaging close to 85 points over their first four contests.
Rather than allow Memphis to run wild up and down the hardwood, Miller clogged the lanes, inviting the Tigers to shoot from deep, where they only went 7-for-21. Such a vast space also lulled some of the younger Tigers into taking ill-advised shots early in the shot clock, enabling Xavier to corral the long rebounds from the spread out Tiger offense. Miller also mixed in some zone looks against the Tigers, providing plenty of help defense, as well as no easy shots for Memphis’ more athletic forwards.
The Musketeers have earned themselves a nice break before returning to the Cintas Center to take on their traditional rival the Miami Redhawks (1-2). Miller and Company will be hoping history does not repeat itself, as the Redhawks were the team that handed Xavier its first loss last season in Oxford. Miami is coming off an 82-53 loss to #6 Pittsburgh.
By Mike Damone
Xavier didn’t feel like waiting until late December to pick up a signature win. Facing a high-flying Memphis Tiger team (4-1) that prides itself on running the opposition ragged with a blistering transition game, an exhausting dribble-drive motion offense and a stifling press, it was easy to see that Xavier’s young guards would be tested to the hilt in Sunday night’s Championship Game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic in San Juan.
That is, unless, Sean Miller and his Musketeers (5-0) forced the Tigers to play their game. Xavier didn’t shoot lights out (37.5 percent from the field, 14.3 percent from three), and didn’t impose their will inside. But they out-worked the Tigers on the glass (39-37), played great team defense (34 percent shooting for Memphis) and made their free throws in crunch time (9-for-12 down the stretch, 67.6 percent overall).
The latter of which could not be said for the defending national runner-up. In the final 5:30 of regulation, and the game still razor-close, the Tigers shot just 2-for-9 from the free-throw line. For the game, the Tigers shot a miserable 50 percent from the stripe, harkening back to last season’s national championship game where the Tigers had the eventual national champion Kansas Jayhawks on the ropes, only to miss the clinching free throws and allow Kansas to tie the game in regulation, before ultimately winning in overtime.
The stakes weren’t quite as high on Sunday night, but the problems remained for Memphis. And while the Tigers couldn’t find their legs at the line, Xavier made the most of their opportunities, going 9-for-12 from the line in the final six minutes, including a perfect 4-for-4 down the stretch from freshman Terrell Holloway (13 pts, 3 reb), who once again hit all 10 of his attempts.
Xavier held the lead from one minute into the game, until Memphis’ Doneal Mack (9 pts, 3 reb) hit a three from the top of the key to give the Tigers the lead, 52-51, with just over six minutes left. Xavier didn’t panic. They worked the ball across the perimeter until Holloway found a seam, took it to the basic and drew the foul, where he cashed in both and gave Xavier the lead back, 53-52.
On Memphis’ next possession, Robert Dozier (10 pts, 6 reb) had a chance to give the Tigers back the lead from the line, but he only connected on the first, and Xavier was able to take back the lead for good, when Jason Love (5 pts, 12 reb) hit the first of his two free throws on Xavier’s next possession.
Likely the biggest play of the evening came on Memphis’ next possession with the Musketeers leading, 54-53. Sophomore Dante Jackson (7 pts, 3 reb) made a clean pick of Antonio Anderson (10 pts, 9 reb) and took it to the hole, having his shot goal-tended and drawing the foul to give Xavier a four-point lead, 57-53.
Xavier almost gave it right back, however. With the Musketeers still leading 57-54 with 1:18 to play, Mack missed both free throws, but Dozier skyed over Derrick Brown (2 pts, 2 reb) for the rebound, and fed Mack for a short jumper to cut Xavier’s lead to one, 57-56. Brown would redeem himself, drawing a foul inside on Xavier's next possession and nailing both free throws to push Xavier’s lead back to three, 59-56, with just under a minute remaining.
Super frosh Tyreke Evans (12 pts, 4 reb) inched Memphis closer with a lay-in, 59-58, before Xavier ultimately put the game away. Memphis didn’t score again. Out of the Xavier timeout, Holloway drew yet another Memphis foul, and went to the line where he calmly dropped both, putting Xavier’s lead back at three with only 27 seconds left.
On the next possession for Memphis, the Tigers grabbed the offensive board and were fouled off Evans’ potentially game-tying three-point attempt, but Dozier missed on both. Arguably, the biggest play of the game ensued off the rebound from the second miss, as the ball seemed to be sure in Dozier's hands. But Holloway came through to tip the ball out and away to Jackson, who grabbed it and was fouled. Jackson and senior CJ Anderson (10 pts, 7 reb) put the game away from the line, giving Xavier its second regular season tournament title in as many years. Anderson would be named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
The first half, like every other game Xavier was involved in during this tournament, was a tight one. A Mack free throw gave Memphis the early 1-0 lead, but Anderson scored the next two buckets to give Xavier an early 4-1 lead, before Love and Jackson pushed it out to 7-1.
Sophomore Jamel McLean (11 pts, 4 reb) kept Xavier on top in the first half, with 11 first-half points, thanks to a relentless presence on the offensive glass, highlighted by a great feed down that resulted in a slam. Xavier would go on to lead 32-29 at the half. Senior BJ Raymond (11 pts, 5 reb) also hit big shot after big shot during both halves to keep Xavier on top.
The key to Xavier’s success Sunday night was to keep a team like Memphis from playing their game – a game that included averaging close to 85 points over their first four contests.
Rather than allow Memphis to run wild up and down the hardwood, Miller clogged the lanes, inviting the Tigers to shoot from deep, where they only went 7-for-21. Such a vast space also lulled some of the younger Tigers into taking ill-advised shots early in the shot clock, enabling Xavier to corral the long rebounds from the spread out Tiger offense. Miller also mixed in some zone looks against the Tigers, providing plenty of help defense, as well as no easy shots for Memphis’ more athletic forwards.
The Musketeers have earned themselves a nice break before returning to the Cintas Center to take on their traditional rival the Miami Redhawks (1-2). Miller and Company will be hoping history does not repeat itself, as the Redhawks were the team that handed Xavier its first loss last season in Oxford. Miami is coming off an 82-53 loss to #6 Pittsburgh.