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03-08-2009, 02:08 PM
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj89/xhoops/9b637b02-8868-4c33-9003-f5b8b197fa0.jpgDefense fails to make Richmond trip, Xavier snagged by Spiders, 80-75
By Mike Damone
Just three hours before tip-off against the Richmond Spiders, the Musketeers (24-6, 12-4) learned a win that evening would not be necessary for the outright conference title, thanks to UMass’ upset of the second-place Rhode Island Rams. Such news would prove to be a blessing for Xavier, as a buzz-saw in the form of Spider sophomore guard Kevin Anderson (29 pts, 4 reb) awaited the Musketeers, giving them their fourth road loss in a month and upsetting Xavier 80-75 Saturday evening at the Robins Center.
After an inspired defensive effort just 48 hours prior helped Xavier down the Dayton Flyers and clinch the top spot for the A-10 Tournament next week, the Richmond Spiders (17-14, 9-7) ripped the Musketeers for 45 points in the first half alone, shooting 61 percent from the field, 82 percent from the free-throw line and 57 percent from long range. Though he wasn’t alone, Kevin Anderson was the primary tormentor of the Musketeers, pouring in 14 first-half points to give the Spiders an eight-point lead at the break, 45-37.
Senior BJ Raymond (17 pts, 9 reb) and junior Derrick Brown (16 pts, 7 reb) teamed to give Xavier an early 4-0 lead, but it would be the last advantage the Musketeers would take. Richmond took off an 11-2 run that ignited their upset cause and frustrated Xavier early on. Jarhon Giddings (12 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk) gave the Spiders their first lead on a long three, and Kevin Smith (5 pts, 4 reb) capped the run with a lay-up.
Back-to-back three’s from Raymond and freshman Terrell Holloway (9 pts, 5 ast) and a free throw from junior Jason Love (10 points) trimmed the Spiders’ lead to one, but rather quickly, the Spiders extended their lead out to eight, 25-17, off a Giddings three, a Justin Harper (20 pts, 8 reb) lay-up and a pair of freebies from Kevin Anderson with just over nine minutes to go in the first half.
A Kevin Anderson lay-up gave the Spiders a 41-31 lead with 3:07 to go in the first, but senior CJ Anderson (8 pts, 5 reb) spurred the Xavier offense with six quick points inside. However, Kevin Anderson dropped two free throws before the half to provide the margin at intermission.
The dominance off the dribble from Kevin Anderson and the Spiders’ hot outside shooting forced the Musketeers into a zone defense for a decent portion of the second half. The Musketeers were unable to put a significant dent in the Richmond lead, until Holloway hit a pair of free throws and Brown got two quick buckets from inside and out to trim the Spiders’ lead to three, 54-51, with 12:43 left in the game.
But as was typical for most of the contest, when Xavier would get stops on defense, they weren’t able to convert on the offensive end. After trimming Richmond’s lead, Xavier managed just one field goal over the course a five-minute span, allowing Richmond on a 10-2 run to extend its lead back out again to 11, 64-53, with under nine minutes to go.
The Musketeers did embark on a 20-7 run late in the half, trimming Richmond’s lead to just two when Holloway hit a floater in the lane with just 1:12 left. After Harper missed on a second free-throw, Xavier had two chances to tie the game, but neither Raymond nor sophomore Dante Jackson (3 pts, 4 reb) could connect, allowing Richmond to pull the upset. The Spiders went without a field goal for the game’s final four minutes, but the Spiders made good on their free throws down the stretch, going 5-for-7 and finishing at an 82.6 percent clip for the game.
Kevin Anderson haunted the Musketeers throughout, cutting through the lane and hitting floaters over the defense, regardless of the size of the Xavier defender. He was the main reason Xavier was forced into a zone, finishing with a career-high 29 points, and was aided by 20 from Harper.
Raymond led Xavier with 17 points, and a game-high nine rebounds. Brown followed with 16 of his own, and Love rounded out the Xavier double-digit scoring with 10 points. Holloway recorded a game-high five assists.
Despite the loss, Xavier still owns the Atlantic 10 regular season title outright thanks to a conference-best 12 wins, though it is still faced with concerns heading into the conference tournament, specifically with its ability to handle lineups possessing smaller, quicker guards.
The Musketeers’ top seed has earned them a first-round bye with their first match-up taking place on Thursday at noon against Wednesday’s winner of the #8 La Salle versus #9 Saint Louis first-round match-up. Xavier handled both squads at home by 20 and 26 points, respectively. Though it is their third-consecutive season with the top seed in the conference tournament, the Musketeers have not won it since 2006.
By Mike Damone
Just three hours before tip-off against the Richmond Spiders, the Musketeers (24-6, 12-4) learned a win that evening would not be necessary for the outright conference title, thanks to UMass’ upset of the second-place Rhode Island Rams. Such news would prove to be a blessing for Xavier, as a buzz-saw in the form of Spider sophomore guard Kevin Anderson (29 pts, 4 reb) awaited the Musketeers, giving them their fourth road loss in a month and upsetting Xavier 80-75 Saturday evening at the Robins Center.
After an inspired defensive effort just 48 hours prior helped Xavier down the Dayton Flyers and clinch the top spot for the A-10 Tournament next week, the Richmond Spiders (17-14, 9-7) ripped the Musketeers for 45 points in the first half alone, shooting 61 percent from the field, 82 percent from the free-throw line and 57 percent from long range. Though he wasn’t alone, Kevin Anderson was the primary tormentor of the Musketeers, pouring in 14 first-half points to give the Spiders an eight-point lead at the break, 45-37.
Senior BJ Raymond (17 pts, 9 reb) and junior Derrick Brown (16 pts, 7 reb) teamed to give Xavier an early 4-0 lead, but it would be the last advantage the Musketeers would take. Richmond took off an 11-2 run that ignited their upset cause and frustrated Xavier early on. Jarhon Giddings (12 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk) gave the Spiders their first lead on a long three, and Kevin Smith (5 pts, 4 reb) capped the run with a lay-up.
Back-to-back three’s from Raymond and freshman Terrell Holloway (9 pts, 5 ast) and a free throw from junior Jason Love (10 points) trimmed the Spiders’ lead to one, but rather quickly, the Spiders extended their lead out to eight, 25-17, off a Giddings three, a Justin Harper (20 pts, 8 reb) lay-up and a pair of freebies from Kevin Anderson with just over nine minutes to go in the first half.
A Kevin Anderson lay-up gave the Spiders a 41-31 lead with 3:07 to go in the first, but senior CJ Anderson (8 pts, 5 reb) spurred the Xavier offense with six quick points inside. However, Kevin Anderson dropped two free throws before the half to provide the margin at intermission.
The dominance off the dribble from Kevin Anderson and the Spiders’ hot outside shooting forced the Musketeers into a zone defense for a decent portion of the second half. The Musketeers were unable to put a significant dent in the Richmond lead, until Holloway hit a pair of free throws and Brown got two quick buckets from inside and out to trim the Spiders’ lead to three, 54-51, with 12:43 left in the game.
But as was typical for most of the contest, when Xavier would get stops on defense, they weren’t able to convert on the offensive end. After trimming Richmond’s lead, Xavier managed just one field goal over the course a five-minute span, allowing Richmond on a 10-2 run to extend its lead back out again to 11, 64-53, with under nine minutes to go.
The Musketeers did embark on a 20-7 run late in the half, trimming Richmond’s lead to just two when Holloway hit a floater in the lane with just 1:12 left. After Harper missed on a second free-throw, Xavier had two chances to tie the game, but neither Raymond nor sophomore Dante Jackson (3 pts, 4 reb) could connect, allowing Richmond to pull the upset. The Spiders went without a field goal for the game’s final four minutes, but the Spiders made good on their free throws down the stretch, going 5-for-7 and finishing at an 82.6 percent clip for the game.
Kevin Anderson haunted the Musketeers throughout, cutting through the lane and hitting floaters over the defense, regardless of the size of the Xavier defender. He was the main reason Xavier was forced into a zone, finishing with a career-high 29 points, and was aided by 20 from Harper.
Raymond led Xavier with 17 points, and a game-high nine rebounds. Brown followed with 16 of his own, and Love rounded out the Xavier double-digit scoring with 10 points. Holloway recorded a game-high five assists.
Despite the loss, Xavier still owns the Atlantic 10 regular season title outright thanks to a conference-best 12 wins, though it is still faced with concerns heading into the conference tournament, specifically with its ability to handle lineups possessing smaller, quicker guards.
The Musketeers’ top seed has earned them a first-round bye with their first match-up taking place on Thursday at noon against Wednesday’s winner of the #8 La Salle versus #9 Saint Louis first-round match-up. Xavier handled both squads at home by 20 and 26 points, respectively. Though it is their third-consecutive season with the top seed in the conference tournament, the Musketeers have not won it since 2006.