kyxu
03-26-2009, 10:42 PM
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj89/xhoops/dae49914-9416-4946-8679-22b143accb2.jpgXavier hits second-half Pitt stop, bows out in Sweet 16, 60-55
By Mike Damone
The margin for error was razor thin. It was a margin that would separate the end of an exciting season from a second-straight trip to the Elite Eight. But it was as thin as the skin of the sneakers of junior Derrick Brown that edged out of bounds as he corralled a loose ball – a loose ball that could have potentially extended Xavier’s lead and pulled off arguably the biggest upset thus far in the NCAA Tournament.
Instead, with Xavier (27-8) leading, 54-52, with just 1:23 remaining, Brown’s ever-so-slight momentum would carry him out of play. Against the 1-seed University of Pittsburgh (31-4), Xavier couldn’t afford to waste such an opportunity, and the Panthers made sure of it. On the ensuing possession, Levance Fields (14 pts, 6 ast) nailed a fall-away three to give the Panthers the lead for good, sending them on their way to a 60-55 victory and their first Elite Eight in 35 years on Thursday night in Boston.
It wasn’t easy hunting for a Pitt team that came in as a fairly sizable favorite, boasting a lethal trio in Fields, Sam Young (19 pts, 3 reb) and Dejuan Blair (10 pts, 17 reb). Xavier went into the half with an eight-point lead, 37-29, but Pitt frustrated the Musketeers in the second half, starting on a 9-0 run over the second frame’s first six minutes, and holding Xavier to just 18 points for the final 20.
Xavier missed its first nine shots of the second-half, allowing Pitt to transform its deficit into a one-point lead. Fields capped the run with a free throw to put the Panthers up, 38-37. But Brown broke the Xavier drought with a jumper in the lane to give his team the lead back, 39-38.
Senior BJ Raymond (15 pts, 3 reb) gave Xavier a three-point lead, 45-42, when he hit a mid-range jump shot off a screen, but Blair answered on the other end with an offensive rebound and put back, followed by a layup off a dribble drive from Jermaine Dixon (4 pts, 3 reb) to put Pitt on top, 46-45, with 7:23 to go. Derrick Brown put Xavier back up with a fadeaway, but Pitt went on a 6-0 run to give the Panthers their largest lead of the game.
Gilbert Brown (7 pts, 6 reb) scored inside, Blair tipped in a missed layup by Dixon and Fields scored on a layup to put the Panthers up, 52-47, with just under five minutes to go.
Xavier would quickly climb back. Freshman Brad Redford (3 points) nailed his first three and Raymond knotted the game again, 52-52, with a pair of free throws. Derrick Brown rebounded a Young miss, and sophomore Dante Jackson (9 pts, 3 reb) gave Xavier its final lead when he penetrated and scored inside to put Xavier up, 54-52, with just under two minutes left in the game.
On Pitt’s next possession, senior CJ Anderson (6 pts, 8 reb) bobbled a defensive rebound off another Dixon miss, flinging the ball the length of the floor before going out of bounds. Derrick Brown out-raced two Panthers, grabbed the ball and looked for an open teammate to extend Xavier’s lead. But in getting his feet set, the back of his sneaker snuck out of bounds, giving Pitt the ball back to set up Field’s game-winner with just under a minute left.
Xavier had a chance to take the lead, but Raymond well-guarded and his tenuous dribble was taken away by Fields who took it the length of the floor and laid it in the put Pitt up by three, 57-54, with 27 seconds to go.
Freshman Terrell Holloway (1 pt, 2 ast) was fouled on Xavier’s next possession, but he converted just one of his two free throws, forcing the Musketeers to foul to have a chance. But Young made good on both free throws to ice the game and send Pittsburgh to the Elite Eight.
The first half was hotly-contested, with neither team holding the lead for long. Xavier bottled up the interior workhouse Blair, but Young led the Panthers with 11 in the first half. The teams were tied, 25-25, with 4:12 to go before the break when Xavier built its largest lead, closing the half on a 12-4 run.
Anderson scored on a short jumper, then found Jackson for a layup and Brown for a three. Brown splashed another three from the wing, and Anderson banked in a circus shot to put Xavier up by eight at the break.
Xavier’s active interior defense frustrated Blair, while Pitt played carelessly with the ball, allowing Xavier to build its lead. But Pitt came out with renewed focus after the intermission, scoring the first nine points of the second half to take the lead before Xavier would take it back.
The loss marked the third-consecutive year Xavier fell in the NCAA Tournament to a one-seed. Reminiscent of Xavier’s 78-71 heartbreaking setback to 1-seed Ohio State in 2007, the Musketeers were unable to hold on to a healthy second-half lead.
Considering the offensive firepower the Musketeers lost after easily its most successful season in school history, a second-straight trip to the Sweet Sixteen was beyond the expectations of many. Xavier coach Sean Miller has also come a long way in solidifying himself as the most successful NCAA Tournament coach in Xavier’s history, as well as maybe the school’s best ever.
But with the end of any successful season is the bittersweet farewell Xavier must bid to its two seniors in Raymond and Anderson. Raymond will end his career with the most career wins of any player in Xavier history, as well as being one of Xavier’s most prolific “big game” scorers, while Anderson’s Xavier career – albeit brief – will be remembered for its unparalleled toughness and determination through 57 Xavier victories over the last two years.
By Mike Damone
The margin for error was razor thin. It was a margin that would separate the end of an exciting season from a second-straight trip to the Elite Eight. But it was as thin as the skin of the sneakers of junior Derrick Brown that edged out of bounds as he corralled a loose ball – a loose ball that could have potentially extended Xavier’s lead and pulled off arguably the biggest upset thus far in the NCAA Tournament.
Instead, with Xavier (27-8) leading, 54-52, with just 1:23 remaining, Brown’s ever-so-slight momentum would carry him out of play. Against the 1-seed University of Pittsburgh (31-4), Xavier couldn’t afford to waste such an opportunity, and the Panthers made sure of it. On the ensuing possession, Levance Fields (14 pts, 6 ast) nailed a fall-away three to give the Panthers the lead for good, sending them on their way to a 60-55 victory and their first Elite Eight in 35 years on Thursday night in Boston.
It wasn’t easy hunting for a Pitt team that came in as a fairly sizable favorite, boasting a lethal trio in Fields, Sam Young (19 pts, 3 reb) and Dejuan Blair (10 pts, 17 reb). Xavier went into the half with an eight-point lead, 37-29, but Pitt frustrated the Musketeers in the second half, starting on a 9-0 run over the second frame’s first six minutes, and holding Xavier to just 18 points for the final 20.
Xavier missed its first nine shots of the second-half, allowing Pitt to transform its deficit into a one-point lead. Fields capped the run with a free throw to put the Panthers up, 38-37. But Brown broke the Xavier drought with a jumper in the lane to give his team the lead back, 39-38.
Senior BJ Raymond (15 pts, 3 reb) gave Xavier a three-point lead, 45-42, when he hit a mid-range jump shot off a screen, but Blair answered on the other end with an offensive rebound and put back, followed by a layup off a dribble drive from Jermaine Dixon (4 pts, 3 reb) to put Pitt on top, 46-45, with 7:23 to go. Derrick Brown put Xavier back up with a fadeaway, but Pitt went on a 6-0 run to give the Panthers their largest lead of the game.
Gilbert Brown (7 pts, 6 reb) scored inside, Blair tipped in a missed layup by Dixon and Fields scored on a layup to put the Panthers up, 52-47, with just under five minutes to go.
Xavier would quickly climb back. Freshman Brad Redford (3 points) nailed his first three and Raymond knotted the game again, 52-52, with a pair of free throws. Derrick Brown rebounded a Young miss, and sophomore Dante Jackson (9 pts, 3 reb) gave Xavier its final lead when he penetrated and scored inside to put Xavier up, 54-52, with just under two minutes left in the game.
On Pitt’s next possession, senior CJ Anderson (6 pts, 8 reb) bobbled a defensive rebound off another Dixon miss, flinging the ball the length of the floor before going out of bounds. Derrick Brown out-raced two Panthers, grabbed the ball and looked for an open teammate to extend Xavier’s lead. But in getting his feet set, the back of his sneaker snuck out of bounds, giving Pitt the ball back to set up Field’s game-winner with just under a minute left.
Xavier had a chance to take the lead, but Raymond well-guarded and his tenuous dribble was taken away by Fields who took it the length of the floor and laid it in the put Pitt up by three, 57-54, with 27 seconds to go.
Freshman Terrell Holloway (1 pt, 2 ast) was fouled on Xavier’s next possession, but he converted just one of his two free throws, forcing the Musketeers to foul to have a chance. But Young made good on both free throws to ice the game and send Pittsburgh to the Elite Eight.
The first half was hotly-contested, with neither team holding the lead for long. Xavier bottled up the interior workhouse Blair, but Young led the Panthers with 11 in the first half. The teams were tied, 25-25, with 4:12 to go before the break when Xavier built its largest lead, closing the half on a 12-4 run.
Anderson scored on a short jumper, then found Jackson for a layup and Brown for a three. Brown splashed another three from the wing, and Anderson banked in a circus shot to put Xavier up by eight at the break.
Xavier’s active interior defense frustrated Blair, while Pitt played carelessly with the ball, allowing Xavier to build its lead. But Pitt came out with renewed focus after the intermission, scoring the first nine points of the second half to take the lead before Xavier would take it back.
The loss marked the third-consecutive year Xavier fell in the NCAA Tournament to a one-seed. Reminiscent of Xavier’s 78-71 heartbreaking setback to 1-seed Ohio State in 2007, the Musketeers were unable to hold on to a healthy second-half lead.
Considering the offensive firepower the Musketeers lost after easily its most successful season in school history, a second-straight trip to the Sweet Sixteen was beyond the expectations of many. Xavier coach Sean Miller has also come a long way in solidifying himself as the most successful NCAA Tournament coach in Xavier’s history, as well as maybe the school’s best ever.
But with the end of any successful season is the bittersweet farewell Xavier must bid to its two seniors in Raymond and Anderson. Raymond will end his career with the most career wins of any player in Xavier history, as well as being one of Xavier’s most prolific “big game” scorers, while Anderson’s Xavier career – albeit brief – will be remembered for its unparalleled toughness and determination through 57 Xavier victories over the last two years.