Here we are in the very impressive TD Banknorth Gardens, home of the 2008 NBA World Champion Boston Celtics, for No. 4 seeded Xavier's 2009 NCAA Tournament East Regional Semifinal match-up versus No. 1-seeded Pitt. Strangely enough, the Celtics' banners have been removed from the rafters for the games this weekend. The national anthem was just played and the teams headed back to the locker rooms. We'll check back in once the game has started!
7:40 p.m. - There are still several empty seats ... those coming for the second game tonight have decided not to take advantage of the doubleheader. Xavier's five-point lead has come courtesy of two free throws from Kenny "The Ogre" Frease and a three from Dante Jackson.
7:50 p.m. - Jason Love reentered the game and is now playing with two fouls but he continues to crash the boards. The Musketeers know they need to get Pitt center DeJuan Blair into foul trouble and Love has put one on him. XU currently holds a 13-9 rebounding margin over Pitt - another point of emphasis in this game for the Musketeers.
7:58 p.m. - A 4-0 run by Xavier was capped off by a dunk from Frease. On the other end a Pitt turnover turned into XU points as Derrick Brown showed his athleticism with a dunk of his own. As if on replay, Pitt turned over again and guess what??? A dunk - this time from Jamel McLean. With that 11-3 run, Pitt is forced into calling timeout and XU fans erupted. Xavier now has nine offensive rebounds to Pitt's six but neither team is shooting the ball well as Pitt is at 36% and Xavier is at 35%.
8:10 p.m. - It was Pitt's turn to go on a run out of the last media break, cutting the XU lead to one, 25-24, and then tying the game with the front end of a one-and-one. Coach Miller continues to yell out plays, tapping his head and making signs with his hands. CJ Anderson made his way to the basket, giving XU the lead back at 27-25, his first points since scoring XU's first two on made free throws. The arena is slowly but surely filling up.
Halftime (8:22 p.m.) - Derrick Brown has shown his versatility in the first half. After slamming home a monstorous dunk his next baskets came from behind the arc - he leads XU with 10. There was a little scuffle at the end of the half as a Pitt player ended up on the floor and then "accidentally" tripped up Frease, causing him to fall as well. It seemed as if the incident was squashed until Pitt's Levance Fields came over to add his two cents. The XU players were turned away and headed into the locker room with the eight-point, 37-29, halftime lead. Andy Katz is making a cameo tonight (standing almost directly behind me!). I wonder, did he pick Xavier or Pitt? And I also just saw Bill Murray across the way - he's sitting in the Xavier section!
8:50 p.m. - The Panthers opened the half with a 6-0 run, slicing the Xavier lead to only two, 37-35. Coach Miller called a TO to regroup the troops and most of the Xavier faithful remain on their feet, hoping to kick start the XU offense. Turnovers have resulted in several Pitt points so far this half. At the first media break, we're tied at 37-all.
8:58 p.m. - Pitt took back the lead, 38-37, for the first time since leading 16-14 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half. The frustration seems to be showing as a Musketeer who just returned to the bench threw his water bottle to the opposite end of the bench. XU finally put up some points with a jumper from Derrick Brown at the 13:39 mark. The two squads have traded the lead back and forth but XU holds the 41-40 advantage at the under 12 media.
9:10 p.m. - Levance Fields had to come out of the game for blood on his jersey as he was elbowed by a teammate who came down with a tough rebound. Father Graham stood up to lead the Xavier fans in the X-A-V-IER chant during a timeout. The XU coaches' wives are sitting directly across from me along with Mr. Miller and all look distraught over Dante Jackson picking up his fourth foul.
9:23 p.m. - Seems like we have some unhappy Pitt fans - a couple of guys are heckling the ref standing at the scorer's table. Derrick Brown narrowly got of a shot before the shot clock expired on X's last possession. Out of the media, Pitt was forced into calling timeout instead of turning over the ball on a five-second count. Both teams have only one TO left. Brad Redford just hit his first shot of the night, a clutch three to pull XU to within two, 52-50. Raymond's at the line after the media break.
Pitt 60, Xavier 55 (9:37 p.m.) - Too late baskets from Pitt's Levance Fields gave the Panthers a 57-54 lead with 23.9 seconds left and the Musketeers would not recover. Coach Miller took out his two seniors in order to give the fans a chance to thank them for their hard work.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Xavier vs. Wisconsin Live Blog
We just couldn't resist. Despite NCAA rules that permit only five posts per half and one halftime post, we are going to bring you a live blog of today's Second Round matchup with Wisconsin. I am sure all of you are watching on CBS, so we wil try to limit it to things you can't see on tv and some stats! Go Musketeers!
UPDATE 2:36 (ET) - Nearly eight and a half minutes into the game, only 13 total points have been scored, showcasing the stout defenses both of these teams possess. Wisconsin likes to work the shot clock under 10 seconds and limit the number of possessions for each team. They took 54 shots in their overtime victory over Florida State on Friday, and exactly half of them (27) came from behind the three-point arc, hitting just nine. Being efficient on offense is going to be key for the Musketeers, as will utilizing the few opportunities to get out in transition that are available.
UPDATE 2:49 - As they settle a shot clock dispute, it's impossible not to reflect on how good a player Derrick Brown is, and also how he continues to grow as a player. Since the second half of the Portland State game, he has played with a sene of urgency and the team has benefited from that. When he is flying around grabbing rebounds, throwing down dunks and knocking down threes, the Musketeers are a very, very dangerous team.
UPDATE 3:00 - Defensive battle doesn't begin to describe what is going on her in Taco Bell Arena. Both teams are pressuring the perimeter and doing a tremendous job of denying the post. It looks like the Musketeers are more athletic than the Badgers, but Wisconsin's execution has been extremely precise. I don't see either team being able to pull away in this game.
UPDATE 3:12 - At halftime, XU trails by two, 27-25. At one point, the Badgers scored eight straight points, four of which came on free throws, to turn a three-point deficit into a five-point lead. Terrell Holloway hit a huge three there with just under a minute to play and Brown made a nice catch and shot to make this a pretty even contest heading into the break. It's gong to be a great second half!
UPDATE 3:39 - Opportunties are slipping through the Musketeers' fingers right now. C.J. Anderson had two chaces a layup and Jason Love missed a dunk, and the Badgers have opened the biggest lead of the game at seven points, 33-26. Coach Sean Miller called a timeout and will need to regroup his troops and respond to the early second-half surge of Wisconsin.
UPDATE 3:46 - After Wisconsin opened the half with a 6-1 run, the Musketeers have scored four straight to make it a three-point game. Important defensive possession for XU.
UPDATE 3:54 - Make that CONNSECUTIVE big defensive possessions for Xavier. The Musketeers have held the Badgers without a field goal since the 17:13 mark and we are now have 11:32 to play.
UPDATE 4:06 - Blocks by Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease have thwarted the last two attempts on offense by the Badgers. When the Musketeers are playing that way on defense, it often translates to points on the other end as XU is able to get out and run. Obviously, Wisconsin will try to slow the tempo down over the final sevn minutes, but look for Xavier to push it each chance it gets. With the tight schedule after the game, this will be the last post. Check GoXavier.com for results as they become available.
UPDATE 2:36 (ET) - Nearly eight and a half minutes into the game, only 13 total points have been scored, showcasing the stout defenses both of these teams possess. Wisconsin likes to work the shot clock under 10 seconds and limit the number of possessions for each team. They took 54 shots in their overtime victory over Florida State on Friday, and exactly half of them (27) came from behind the three-point arc, hitting just nine. Being efficient on offense is going to be key for the Musketeers, as will utilizing the few opportunities to get out in transition that are available.
UPDATE 2:49 - As they settle a shot clock dispute, it's impossible not to reflect on how good a player Derrick Brown is, and also how he continues to grow as a player. Since the second half of the Portland State game, he has played with a sene of urgency and the team has benefited from that. When he is flying around grabbing rebounds, throwing down dunks and knocking down threes, the Musketeers are a very, very dangerous team.
UPDATE 3:00 - Defensive battle doesn't begin to describe what is going on her in Taco Bell Arena. Both teams are pressuring the perimeter and doing a tremendous job of denying the post. It looks like the Musketeers are more athletic than the Badgers, but Wisconsin's execution has been extremely precise. I don't see either team being able to pull away in this game.
UPDATE 3:12 - At halftime, XU trails by two, 27-25. At one point, the Badgers scored eight straight points, four of which came on free throws, to turn a three-point deficit into a five-point lead. Terrell Holloway hit a huge three there with just under a minute to play and Brown made a nice catch and shot to make this a pretty even contest heading into the break. It's gong to be a great second half!
UPDATE 3:39 - Opportunties are slipping through the Musketeers' fingers right now. C.J. Anderson had two chaces a layup and Jason Love missed a dunk, and the Badgers have opened the biggest lead of the game at seven points, 33-26. Coach Sean Miller called a timeout and will need to regroup his troops and respond to the early second-half surge of Wisconsin.
UPDATE 3:46 - After Wisconsin opened the half with a 6-1 run, the Musketeers have scored four straight to make it a three-point game. Important defensive possession for XU.
UPDATE 3:54 - Make that CONNSECUTIVE big defensive possessions for Xavier. The Musketeers have held the Badgers without a field goal since the 17:13 mark and we are now have 11:32 to play.
UPDATE 4:06 - Blocks by Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease have thwarted the last two attempts on offense by the Badgers. When the Musketeers are playing that way on defense, it often translates to points on the other end as XU is able to get out and run. Obviously, Wisconsin will try to slow the tempo down over the final sevn minutes, but look for Xavier to push it each chance it gets. With the tight schedule after the game, this will be the last post. Check GoXavier.com for results as they become available.
Friday, March 13, 2009
A-10 Semifinal Live Blog (vs. Temple)
Hello ladies and gents! We are roughly 20 minutes from tip-off in the first Atlantic 10 Conference Championship semifinal, featuring Xavier and Temple. Coming into the matchup, the Musketeers are 0-4 in A-10 Tournament play against the Owls, but there's no time like the present to snap that streak. XU looked impressive in the quarterfinal win over Saint Louis and junior Derrick Brown said this team is "on a mission." That mission continues at 6:30 p.m. against Temple. Stay tuned!
6:27 p.m. - Staring lineups...XAVIER, G - 11, B.J. Raymond; G - 25, Dante Jackson; C - 31, Jason Love; F - 5, Derrick Brown; F - 20, C.J. Anderson. TEMPLE, G - 2, Ryan Brooks; G - 22 Dionte Christmas; G - 15, Semaj Inge; C - Sergio Olmos; F - Lavoy Allen.
6:29 - The second-leading scorer in the Atlantic 10, Dionte Christmas has been held in single digits the last two games, the only time that has happened this season. The Musketeers contained him in the first matchup between these two teams, a key to tonight's game as well.
6:44 - Derrick Brown set the tone early for the Musketeers, scoring the first five points of the game, and a pair of three-pointers from B.J. Raymond and Dante Jackson have XU in front, 11-4, early in the first half. Right now, the Musketeers are having some trouble stopping penetration, but the bigs have made thing difficult for the Owls once they get in the paint.
6:52 - Six straight points and an offensive drought for XU has this game knotted up at 11, forcing head coach Sean Miller to call a timeout. After a strong start, the Muskteer offense has been slightly off in the last few minutes of action. That is going to prompt the return of Jackson to the lineup as Xavier tries to find flow on the offensive end.
6:55 - At the under 12-minute media timeout, the game is still tied at 11. B.J. Raymond just picked up second foul, presenting a two-fold issue for the Musketeers. He is the team's leading scorer, and has been assigned the task of guarding Christmas tonight. Who steps in for him and how they are able to do against the dynamic scorer will be pivotal for the remainder of the half.
7:06 - Both offenses have woken up, with XU outscoring Temple 14-9 over that four-minute stretch. Brown is the first player in double figures, netting 10 points thus far. Most importantly, he has been active on the offensive glass, grabbing two boards on that side so far.
7:15 - Already dealing with B.J. Raymond's two fouls, the Musketeers will be even further handcuffed after Jackson picked up his third infraction on a charge. Often the team's top perimeter defender, Jackson is also part of the point guard tandem with Terrell Holloway. In a press conference just a few weeks ago, Raymond said at this point in the season the freshman are sophomores, and Holloway is going to have to show that with the increased workload.
7:26 - The Musketeers didn't hit a field goal for the final six minutes of the half, but still trail by only one point, 31-30, going into halftime. Jackson and Raymond were saddled with foul trouble in the first half, playing just a combined 20 minutes. Getting them back with a fairly clean slate in the second half should help energize and clean up the XU offense. Join us back here in 15 minutes for the second half.
7:43 - Terrell Holloway is in the starting lineup for the second half with Jackson on the bench with three fouls. Holloway is no stranger to the first unit, having started 13 straight games earlier this season. He will need to quickly regain his familiarity with the starters as the Musketeers trail 33-30.
7:49 - It's pretty apparent Raymond didn't like watching from the bench in the first half. He has scored all five of the Musketeers' point in the second half, helping XU pull even with the Owls, 35-35.
7:58 - Coach Miller went with a fairly unfamiliar lineup for the Musketeers: Love, McLean, Brown, Anderson and Jackson. On defense, it was nearly impossible for the Owls to penetrate, but on offense, there wasn't quite the flow for XU. That prompted Miller to call a timeout to rotate some new players in and try to refocus his offense.
8:02 - Raymond is carrying the Musketeers in the second half, scoring 11 of his 14 points over the first 9+ minutes of the second half. Those 11 points also account for all but two of XU's points in the second half, giving the Musketeers a 43-40 lead at the 10:54 mark and under-12 media timeout.
8:10 - With the big man trio of Love, Brown and McLean on the floor, the Musketeers have been working the paint much more effectively. Getting both of the past two baskets in the paint (Love and Brown), XU also got a monster block from McLean on defense. Having those three on the floor together gives the Musketeers a unique blend of athleticsm and size most teams can not match.
8:21 - In what can already be labeled a defensive contest, the last three possessions have ended in block, culminating with McLean's athletic rejection and heads-up play to knock the ball off the Temple play he blocked as he was falling out of bounds. As one person said on press row, McLean can "jump out of the gym."
8:30 - Despite Christmas hitting two three-pointers (after starting the game 1-of-7) from long range, Xavier is within three points with just under a minute to play. It's going to come down to an XU staple if the Musketeers want to pull this out: Defense. Check www.GoXavier.com for a recap of tonight's game.
6:27 p.m. - Staring lineups...XAVIER, G - 11, B.J. Raymond; G - 25, Dante Jackson; C - 31, Jason Love; F - 5, Derrick Brown; F - 20, C.J. Anderson. TEMPLE, G - 2, Ryan Brooks; G - 22 Dionte Christmas; G - 15, Semaj Inge; C - Sergio Olmos; F - Lavoy Allen.
6:29 - The second-leading scorer in the Atlantic 10, Dionte Christmas has been held in single digits the last two games, the only time that has happened this season. The Musketeers contained him in the first matchup between these two teams, a key to tonight's game as well.
6:44 - Derrick Brown set the tone early for the Musketeers, scoring the first five points of the game, and a pair of three-pointers from B.J. Raymond and Dante Jackson have XU in front, 11-4, early in the first half. Right now, the Musketeers are having some trouble stopping penetration, but the bigs have made thing difficult for the Owls once they get in the paint.
6:52 - Six straight points and an offensive drought for XU has this game knotted up at 11, forcing head coach Sean Miller to call a timeout. After a strong start, the Muskteer offense has been slightly off in the last few minutes of action. That is going to prompt the return of Jackson to the lineup as Xavier tries to find flow on the offensive end.
6:55 - At the under 12-minute media timeout, the game is still tied at 11. B.J. Raymond just picked up second foul, presenting a two-fold issue for the Musketeers. He is the team's leading scorer, and has been assigned the task of guarding Christmas tonight. Who steps in for him and how they are able to do against the dynamic scorer will be pivotal for the remainder of the half.
7:06 - Both offenses have woken up, with XU outscoring Temple 14-9 over that four-minute stretch. Brown is the first player in double figures, netting 10 points thus far. Most importantly, he has been active on the offensive glass, grabbing two boards on that side so far.
7:15 - Already dealing with B.J. Raymond's two fouls, the Musketeers will be even further handcuffed after Jackson picked up his third infraction on a charge. Often the team's top perimeter defender, Jackson is also part of the point guard tandem with Terrell Holloway. In a press conference just a few weeks ago, Raymond said at this point in the season the freshman are sophomores, and Holloway is going to have to show that with the increased workload.
7:26 - The Musketeers didn't hit a field goal for the final six minutes of the half, but still trail by only one point, 31-30, going into halftime. Jackson and Raymond were saddled with foul trouble in the first half, playing just a combined 20 minutes. Getting them back with a fairly clean slate in the second half should help energize and clean up the XU offense. Join us back here in 15 minutes for the second half.
7:43 - Terrell Holloway is in the starting lineup for the second half with Jackson on the bench with three fouls. Holloway is no stranger to the first unit, having started 13 straight games earlier this season. He will need to quickly regain his familiarity with the starters as the Musketeers trail 33-30.
7:49 - It's pretty apparent Raymond didn't like watching from the bench in the first half. He has scored all five of the Musketeers' point in the second half, helping XU pull even with the Owls, 35-35.
7:58 - Coach Miller went with a fairly unfamiliar lineup for the Musketeers: Love, McLean, Brown, Anderson and Jackson. On defense, it was nearly impossible for the Owls to penetrate, but on offense, there wasn't quite the flow for XU. That prompted Miller to call a timeout to rotate some new players in and try to refocus his offense.
8:02 - Raymond is carrying the Musketeers in the second half, scoring 11 of his 14 points over the first 9+ minutes of the second half. Those 11 points also account for all but two of XU's points in the second half, giving the Musketeers a 43-40 lead at the 10:54 mark and under-12 media timeout.
8:10 - With the big man trio of Love, Brown and McLean on the floor, the Musketeers have been working the paint much more effectively. Getting both of the past two baskets in the paint (Love and Brown), XU also got a monster block from McLean on defense. Having those three on the floor together gives the Musketeers a unique blend of athleticsm and size most teams can not match.
8:21 - In what can already be labeled a defensive contest, the last three possessions have ended in block, culminating with McLean's athletic rejection and heads-up play to knock the ball off the Temple play he blocked as he was falling out of bounds. As one person said on press row, McLean can "jump out of the gym."
8:30 - Despite Christmas hitting two three-pointers (after starting the game 1-of-7) from long range, Xavier is within three points with just under a minute to play. It's going to come down to an XU staple if the Musketeers want to pull this out: Defense. Check www.GoXavier.com for a recap of tonight's game.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A-10 Quarterfinal Live Blog
Moments from tip-off, the Xavier men's team will open Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament play with against Saint Louis, which beat La Salle in the opening round, although the game went to overtime. In the press conference following the game, SLU head coach Rick Majerus called C.J. Anderson a lottery pick (because of his talent), but it's the prevailing belief he meant Derrick Brown, who he has been high on all season. Either way, both players (along with senior B.J. Raymond will be key to today's game. Tip-off in just over five minutes!
12:03 - An impressive Xavier contingent is here to support the Musketeers. During introductions, there was an obvious difference in the vocal support for the two squads, with the XU faithful making their presence known. As soon as we get the go ahead from CBS College Sports, we will be underway!
12:08 - Derrick Brown has had two WIDE open three-point looks, draining the first one to give Xavier the early lead. Against the Saint Louis zone, there are going to be some opportunities from beyond the arc.
12:23 - Had some problems with the Internet for a moment, so we apologize for the gap in posts. Xavier has shown great intensity over the first eight minutes, especially on defense. Led by the seniors (Anderson and Raymond) and Brown. In the second media timeout, XU looks like the loss to Richmond has refocused the team. Coach Miller has talked about that in most of his interviews this week, and it's safe to assume he emphasized to his team.
12:35 - Saint Louis has pulled within eight, mixing up its defense between man-to-man and zone. After getting some early looks from outside in the early going, a few misses seems to have caused the Musketeers to be shy from long distance. Getting Raymond or Redford a look could help change that very quickly, however.
12:49 - Three-point shooting has made this a five-point game, as the Billikens have taken advantage of some good screens to get open looks from long distance. Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch have led the charge, but Brown responded with an aggressive drive to the basket. He was noticeably amped up in practice yesterday and has shown flashes of that today.
12:58 -The epitome of Xavier basketball just allowed the Musketeers to regain the 10-point lead. After forcing a shot clock violation on the defensive end to stop the clock with two seconds on the clock, B.J. Raymond banked in a long-distance three as time expired in the half. That is the burst XU needed.
1:24 - XU has used the momentum of Raymond' buzzer-beater to build a 17-point lead just over four minutes into the second half. The Musketeers' defense has been noticeably better in this game and is has led to more transition opportunities, as well. With the high level athletes on this team, that is going to be dangerous for any opponent.
1:36 - Through nearly nine and a half minutes of action in the second half, the Musketeers have outscored SLU 28-9. They must have enjoyed some of that special juice Michael Jordan had in Space Jam during halftime!
1:44 - The lead is over 20 points now and the Musketeers appear to have found the mojo they had during the Dayton victory on Senior Night. It's been a team effort, led by the standout performance of Raymond.
1:53 - With just over a minute to play, reserves will enter for both teams and XU will open their tournament with a decisive victory. They will await the winner of the next quarterfinal, featuring Temple and St. Joe's.
12:03 - An impressive Xavier contingent is here to support the Musketeers. During introductions, there was an obvious difference in the vocal support for the two squads, with the XU faithful making their presence known. As soon as we get the go ahead from CBS College Sports, we will be underway!
12:08 - Derrick Brown has had two WIDE open three-point looks, draining the first one to give Xavier the early lead. Against the Saint Louis zone, there are going to be some opportunities from beyond the arc.
12:23 - Had some problems with the Internet for a moment, so we apologize for the gap in posts. Xavier has shown great intensity over the first eight minutes, especially on defense. Led by the seniors (Anderson and Raymond) and Brown. In the second media timeout, XU looks like the loss to Richmond has refocused the team. Coach Miller has talked about that in most of his interviews this week, and it's safe to assume he emphasized to his team.
12:35 - Saint Louis has pulled within eight, mixing up its defense between man-to-man and zone. After getting some early looks from outside in the early going, a few misses seems to have caused the Musketeers to be shy from long distance. Getting Raymond or Redford a look could help change that very quickly, however.
12:49 - Three-point shooting has made this a five-point game, as the Billikens have taken advantage of some good screens to get open looks from long distance. Tommie Liddell and Kevin Lisch have led the charge, but Brown responded with an aggressive drive to the basket. He was noticeably amped up in practice yesterday and has shown flashes of that today.
12:58 -The epitome of Xavier basketball just allowed the Musketeers to regain the 10-point lead. After forcing a shot clock violation on the defensive end to stop the clock with two seconds on the clock, B.J. Raymond banked in a long-distance three as time expired in the half. That is the burst XU needed.
1:24 - XU has used the momentum of Raymond' buzzer-beater to build a 17-point lead just over four minutes into the second half. The Musketeers' defense has been noticeably better in this game and is has led to more transition opportunities, as well. With the high level athletes on this team, that is going to be dangerous for any opponent.
1:36 - Through nearly nine and a half minutes of action in the second half, the Musketeers have outscored SLU 28-9. They must have enjoyed some of that special juice Michael Jordan had in Space Jam during halftime!
1:44 - The lead is over 20 points now and the Musketeers appear to have found the mojo they had during the Dayton victory on Senior Night. It's been a team effort, led by the standout performance of Raymond.
1:53 - With just over a minute to play, reserves will enter for both teams and XU will open their tournament with a decisive victory. They will await the winner of the next quarterfinal, featuring Temple and St. Joe's.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Xavier at Richmond Live Blog
Pre-Game
6:45 - Although Rhode Island lost to Massachusetts to ensure Xavier the outright regular season conference title (its third in a row), there is plenty of motivation for the Musketeers tonight in Virginia. Taking momentum into the postseason is always helpful, but also on the line, and perhaps more importantly, is seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Comedian/Actor Eddie Griffin (Double Take, Undercover Brother, Norbit, etc.) did his part to motivate the Muskies. At the team hotel for reasons unknown, Griffin jumped on the team bus just before departure and said: "Undercover Brother just wanted to wish Xavier good luck tonight. Not that you'll need it, 'cause I've seen you on tv. Do your thing tonight. You know I'll be watching." Thanks, Undercover Brother!
6:55 - Here are tonight's starters: Richmond 4 - Jarhon Giddings, 5 - David Gonzalvez, 12 - Kevin Smith, 14 - Kevin Anderson, 44 - Ryan Butler; Xavier 5 - Derrick Brown, 11 - B.J. Raymond, 20 - C.J. Anderson, 25 - Dante Jackson, 31 - Jason Love.
First Half
7:06 - Coach Sean Miller has emphasized in the short preperation time the uniqueness of the Richmond offense. Based on the Princeton offense, there is a lot of movement and virtual interchangability in among the perimeter players. How the Musketeers deal with ball screens and back door cuts will go a long way to the team's success tonight.
7:10 - It isn't the first time the Musketeers have dealt with the situation, but C.J. Anderson just picked up his second foul less than four minutes into the game and will have to take a seat. This may mean more run for Jamel McLean in the first half.
7:12 - At the first media timeout, Richmond holds an 11-8 advantage. XU has done a tremendous job on the offensive glass, getting four second chance points off three offensive rebounds. With a decisive size advantage, look for the Muskies to continue to exploit the Spiders' smaller front line.
7:21 - Despite entering the game hitting just over one-third of its three-point attempts, Richmond has already hit a pair and now cling to a two-point lead, 18-16. Second chance points update: XU 7 - RU 2.
7:27 - Coach Miller is showing his trust in the older players right now, leaving Jason Love and C.J. Anderson both on the floor despite them both having two fouls. It paid off for the Muskies, with Love going to the line with a chance to hit a free throw for the three-point play.
7:31 - For those watching on tv, you just saw one of the quickest coaching adjustments possible. Seeing the Spiders were going to a 1-3-1 zone, coach Miller knew just the play to call and, after a nice pass by Terrell Holloway, it resulted in a three-pointer by Raymond that made it 27-23 in favor of Richmond.
7:35 - Richmond is shooting the lights out right now, hitting on 11 of their 16 attempts (68.8 percent for those of us who can't do that in their head). It's still only a five-point lead for the Spiders, so it's safe to say that if the Musketeers can shore up the defense, this came could turn around.
7:41 - The lead has balloned to eight, 37-29, for Richmond after Justin Harper hit his second three-pointer, giving him 12 points already. He has shown a great inside-outside ability for a 6-10 sophomore.
7:45 - Holloway has four assists in nine minutes of action thus far, three of which have been on "Wow" plays. His ability as a passer and growth as a player will go a long way to the Musketeers' success in the postseason.
7:52 - Richmond will take an eight-point lead into halftime, 45-37, after an absolutely scorching performance from the field in through the first 20 minutes. But if there is one thing Xavier fans are familiar with, it's the team's ability to dramatically change the course of the game with its defense.
8:19 - The lead has been whittled down to six, thanks to improved intensity on defense for the Musketeers. Richmond has hit just two of its five second-half attempts. One area XU can certainly improve is second-chance points. After holding a 7-2 advantage in that category early in the first half, Xavier is only ahead 11-5 in the category now.
8:21 - Holloway shows his stuff again with that alley-oop to the high-flying Brown. That's five assists to two turnovers for the freshman point guard.
8:28 - Since David Gonzalvez hit a three-pointer with 17:50 on the clock to give the Spiders a nine-point lead, 48-39, the Musketeers have gone on a 14-6 run to pull within one point and have the ball with a chance to take the lead.
8:38 - Brad Redford just hit his first three-pointer of the night to cut the deficit to eight. He has had a couple rim out tonight, but that could heat up the sharp shooter a time when XU needs some offense.
8:41 - With the action heating up here in Robins Center, so have the Spiders' shooters once again. After hitting just three of their first nine attempts in the second half, the Spiders have hit seven of the their last 11 and have increased the margin to eight with just under six minutes to play.
8:46 - Coach Miller has used his last timeout, facing a nine-point deficit after a 5-0 run by Richmond. A pair of free throws by Holloway had pulled the Musketeers within four, but a three-point play by Kevin Anderson and a put back by Jarhon Gidings has pushed the advantage back to nine for the home team.
8:49 - We are in the last media timeout with XU trailing by six after a dead-on three-pointer by B.J. Raymond. He leads the Musketeers with 15 points. That will be our last point with 2:39 to play. Be sur to check www.GoXavier.com for the final results and a recap of tonight's action.
6:45 - Although Rhode Island lost to Massachusetts to ensure Xavier the outright regular season conference title (its third in a row), there is plenty of motivation for the Musketeers tonight in Virginia. Taking momentum into the postseason is always helpful, but also on the line, and perhaps more importantly, is seeding in the NCAA Tournament. Comedian/Actor Eddie Griffin (Double Take, Undercover Brother, Norbit, etc.) did his part to motivate the Muskies. At the team hotel for reasons unknown, Griffin jumped on the team bus just before departure and said: "Undercover Brother just wanted to wish Xavier good luck tonight. Not that you'll need it, 'cause I've seen you on tv. Do your thing tonight. You know I'll be watching." Thanks, Undercover Brother!
6:55 - Here are tonight's starters: Richmond 4 - Jarhon Giddings, 5 - David Gonzalvez, 12 - Kevin Smith, 14 - Kevin Anderson, 44 - Ryan Butler; Xavier 5 - Derrick Brown, 11 - B.J. Raymond, 20 - C.J. Anderson, 25 - Dante Jackson, 31 - Jason Love.
First Half
7:06 - Coach Sean Miller has emphasized in the short preperation time the uniqueness of the Richmond offense. Based on the Princeton offense, there is a lot of movement and virtual interchangability in among the perimeter players. How the Musketeers deal with ball screens and back door cuts will go a long way to the team's success tonight.
7:10 - It isn't the first time the Musketeers have dealt with the situation, but C.J. Anderson just picked up his second foul less than four minutes into the game and will have to take a seat. This may mean more run for Jamel McLean in the first half.
7:12 - At the first media timeout, Richmond holds an 11-8 advantage. XU has done a tremendous job on the offensive glass, getting four second chance points off three offensive rebounds. With a decisive size advantage, look for the Muskies to continue to exploit the Spiders' smaller front line.
7:21 - Despite entering the game hitting just over one-third of its three-point attempts, Richmond has already hit a pair and now cling to a two-point lead, 18-16. Second chance points update: XU 7 - RU 2.
7:27 - Coach Miller is showing his trust in the older players right now, leaving Jason Love and C.J. Anderson both on the floor despite them both having two fouls. It paid off for the Muskies, with Love going to the line with a chance to hit a free throw for the three-point play.
7:31 - For those watching on tv, you just saw one of the quickest coaching adjustments possible. Seeing the Spiders were going to a 1-3-1 zone, coach Miller knew just the play to call and, after a nice pass by Terrell Holloway, it resulted in a three-pointer by Raymond that made it 27-23 in favor of Richmond.
7:35 - Richmond is shooting the lights out right now, hitting on 11 of their 16 attempts (68.8 percent for those of us who can't do that in their head). It's still only a five-point lead for the Spiders, so it's safe to say that if the Musketeers can shore up the defense, this came could turn around.
7:41 - The lead has balloned to eight, 37-29, for Richmond after Justin Harper hit his second three-pointer, giving him 12 points already. He has shown a great inside-outside ability for a 6-10 sophomore.
7:45 - Holloway has four assists in nine minutes of action thus far, three of which have been on "Wow" plays. His ability as a passer and growth as a player will go a long way to the Musketeers' success in the postseason.
7:52 - Richmond will take an eight-point lead into halftime, 45-37, after an absolutely scorching performance from the field in through the first 20 minutes. But if there is one thing Xavier fans are familiar with, it's the team's ability to dramatically change the course of the game with its defense.
8:19 - The lead has been whittled down to six, thanks to improved intensity on defense for the Musketeers. Richmond has hit just two of its five second-half attempts. One area XU can certainly improve is second-chance points. After holding a 7-2 advantage in that category early in the first half, Xavier is only ahead 11-5 in the category now.
8:21 - Holloway shows his stuff again with that alley-oop to the high-flying Brown. That's five assists to two turnovers for the freshman point guard.
8:28 - Since David Gonzalvez hit a three-pointer with 17:50 on the clock to give the Spiders a nine-point lead, 48-39, the Musketeers have gone on a 14-6 run to pull within one point and have the ball with a chance to take the lead.
8:38 - Brad Redford just hit his first three-pointer of the night to cut the deficit to eight. He has had a couple rim out tonight, but that could heat up the sharp shooter a time when XU needs some offense.
8:41 - With the action heating up here in Robins Center, so have the Spiders' shooters once again. After hitting just three of their first nine attempts in the second half, the Spiders have hit seven of the their last 11 and have increased the margin to eight with just under six minutes to play.
8:46 - Coach Miller has used his last timeout, facing a nine-point deficit after a 5-0 run by Richmond. A pair of free throws by Holloway had pulled the Musketeers within four, but a three-point play by Kevin Anderson and a put back by Jarhon Gidings has pushed the advantage back to nine for the home team.
8:49 - We are in the last media timeout with XU trailing by six after a dead-on three-pointer by B.J. Raymond. He leads the Musketeers with 15 points. That will be our last point with 2:39 to play. Be sur to check www.GoXavier.com for the final results and a recap of tonight's action.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Xavier vs. Dayton Live Blog
Welcome to the final GoXavier.com live blog from the Cintas Center this season. The Musketeers will host the Dayton Flyers tonight to close out the home schedule in Cintas Center. The game is being televised on ESPN2. Prior to tipoff, seniors BJ Raymond and CJ Anderson will be honored during the Senior Night celebration.
First Half
19:06 - There wasn't a person in Cintas Center sitting for the first XU basket, a three from Dante Jackson. Jackson has now score XU's first five points.
17:51 - The stat sheet is all Dante Jackson so far. He has all eight of Xavier's points, including two three-pointers. In four years, this blogger has never heard the Cintas Center this loud to open a game. Many of the crowd (not just students) have yet to take their seats.
16:06 - If this was the video game NBA JAM, Dante Jackson would have flames coming off of him. All 11 of Xavier's points are from Jackson after he hit his third straight from downtown. The score: Jackson 11, Dayton 5.
11:37 - A series of calls by the officials unfavorable to Xavier have given the fans something to boo at other than Dayton. XU has not scored in the last four minutes, a drought featuring several missed shots. Thankfully, the Flyers have not fared to well either. XU leads 13-7.
9:08 - Jamel McLean has grabbed three straight rebounds for XU, including an offensive putback for two. Unfortunately, the last rebound was thanks to a hook move. Dayton missed the opening shot on the 1-and-1 opportunity.
8:36 - Kenny Frease just made a BACKCOURT steal. The ensuing fast break resulted in a foul on Dayton. McLean made both free throws. XU leads 21-10.
7:33 - Frease is the focus of the action now after hitting both of his free throw attempts and taking a charge on the other end. The freshman is making his mark on this game.
4:55 - The Musketeer reserves are showing Dayton just how much depth Xavier has. On three straight possessions, McLean had a commanding dunk.. followed by a break-away layup from Terrell Holloway.. followed by yet another authorative dunk from Jamel McLean. The crowd is on their feet going into the final TV timeout of the half. Xavier still leads 32-22.
2:01 - The Flyers cannot stop McLean on the boards. He has four rebounds and is now 4-4 in the game with his last three baskets being gigantic slam dunks.
Halftime - XU ends the half with their largest lead of the game, 40-27. Neither team scored in the final minute.
Second Half
15:30 - The first TV timeout of the half is here after Mickey Perry fould Dante Jackson on a drive. What Cintas fans on that end of the floor noticed was the additional hand checking by Perry that followed the call. That, on top of a young Dayton fan being ejected from the Xavier student section, added a little something extra to the break.
15:07 - On senior night, sophomore Dante Jackson is having one of his best all-around games. Jackson just dove into a pile of Flyers for a loose ball, corralled it, and managed to call the timeout. XU leads 43-35.
13:41 - Dayton had smothered C.J. Anderson's scoring attempts until the previous possession, when his power move in the paint resulted in two points for XU.
11:56 - The Xavier lead is down to six points (47-41). London Warren committed his third foul before the TV timeout
11:16 - Brad Redford just hit a wide open three from four feet beyond the arc. The spark is exactly what XU and the Cintas Center fans were looking for. Xavier now leads 50-41.
9:19 - Redford, running the point guard position, just shook his defended and nailed another trey from exactly the same spot. The threat from Redford at point is very real: One crossover-shake and the space for his shot can be created.
7:49 - Brian Gregory was forced to take a timeout now that XU has opened a 55-44 lead. The Musketeer fans have been standing for the last ten straight minutes at least. Cintas Center is electric like a thunder storm.
6:35 - Cintas Center will certainly miss BJ Raymond. He just hit back-to-back three pointers that opened up a 63-49 lead for the Musketeers. His face was a mirror image of the classic roar following his overtime treys that led XU to the Elite Eight last season.
3:56 - Dante Jackson and Kenny Frease just ran a perfectly-executed pick-and-roll. The result: a Frease slam that once again reminded Dayton just how many weapons Xavier has.
2:45 - Derrick Brown just one-handed a rebouned and slammed it home all in one move. He followed the play with a block on the other end that created a loose ball which Kenny Frease corralled on the deck. With a timeout called, XU earned possession.
0:19 - Sean Miller called a timeout to get CJ Anderson and BJ Raymond out of the game so the fans could give them the final applause they deserved. Both were critical to the win this evening.
Final - Xavier wins 76 - 59. Thanks for reading, the Musketeers will now cut down the nets to celebrate their three-straight A-10 regular season championships. Be sure to check GoXavier.com for all the post game recap information on tonights game.
First Half
19:06 - There wasn't a person in Cintas Center sitting for the first XU basket, a three from Dante Jackson. Jackson has now score XU's first five points.
17:51 - The stat sheet is all Dante Jackson so far. He has all eight of Xavier's points, including two three-pointers. In four years, this blogger has never heard the Cintas Center this loud to open a game. Many of the crowd (not just students) have yet to take their seats.
16:06 - If this was the video game NBA JAM, Dante Jackson would have flames coming off of him. All 11 of Xavier's points are from Jackson after he hit his third straight from downtown. The score: Jackson 11, Dayton 5.
11:37 - A series of calls by the officials unfavorable to Xavier have given the fans something to boo at other than Dayton. XU has not scored in the last four minutes, a drought featuring several missed shots. Thankfully, the Flyers have not fared to well either. XU leads 13-7.
9:08 - Jamel McLean has grabbed three straight rebounds for XU, including an offensive putback for two. Unfortunately, the last rebound was thanks to a hook move. Dayton missed the opening shot on the 1-and-1 opportunity.
8:36 - Kenny Frease just made a BACKCOURT steal. The ensuing fast break resulted in a foul on Dayton. McLean made both free throws. XU leads 21-10.
7:33 - Frease is the focus of the action now after hitting both of his free throw attempts and taking a charge on the other end. The freshman is making his mark on this game.
4:55 - The Musketeer reserves are showing Dayton just how much depth Xavier has. On three straight possessions, McLean had a commanding dunk.. followed by a break-away layup from Terrell Holloway.. followed by yet another authorative dunk from Jamel McLean. The crowd is on their feet going into the final TV timeout of the half. Xavier still leads 32-22.
2:01 - The Flyers cannot stop McLean on the boards. He has four rebounds and is now 4-4 in the game with his last three baskets being gigantic slam dunks.
Halftime - XU ends the half with their largest lead of the game, 40-27. Neither team scored in the final minute.
Second Half
15:30 - The first TV timeout of the half is here after Mickey Perry fould Dante Jackson on a drive. What Cintas fans on that end of the floor noticed was the additional hand checking by Perry that followed the call. That, on top of a young Dayton fan being ejected from the Xavier student section, added a little something extra to the break.
15:07 - On senior night, sophomore Dante Jackson is having one of his best all-around games. Jackson just dove into a pile of Flyers for a loose ball, corralled it, and managed to call the timeout. XU leads 43-35.
13:41 - Dayton had smothered C.J. Anderson's scoring attempts until the previous possession, when his power move in the paint resulted in two points for XU.
11:56 - The Xavier lead is down to six points (47-41). London Warren committed his third foul before the TV timeout
11:16 - Brad Redford just hit a wide open three from four feet beyond the arc. The spark is exactly what XU and the Cintas Center fans were looking for. Xavier now leads 50-41.
9:19 - Redford, running the point guard position, just shook his defended and nailed another trey from exactly the same spot. The threat from Redford at point is very real: One crossover-shake and the space for his shot can be created.
7:49 - Brian Gregory was forced to take a timeout now that XU has opened a 55-44 lead. The Musketeer fans have been standing for the last ten straight minutes at least. Cintas Center is electric like a thunder storm.
6:35 - Cintas Center will certainly miss BJ Raymond. He just hit back-to-back three pointers that opened up a 63-49 lead for the Musketeers. His face was a mirror image of the classic roar following his overtime treys that led XU to the Elite Eight last season.
3:56 - Dante Jackson and Kenny Frease just ran a perfectly-executed pick-and-roll. The result: a Frease slam that once again reminded Dayton just how many weapons Xavier has.
2:45 - Derrick Brown just one-handed a rebouned and slammed it home all in one move. He followed the play with a block on the other end that created a loose ball which Kenny Frease corralled on the deck. With a timeout called, XU earned possession.
0:19 - Sean Miller called a timeout to get CJ Anderson and BJ Raymond out of the game so the fans could give them the final applause they deserved. Both were critical to the win this evening.
Final - Xavier wins 76 - 59. Thanks for reading, the Musketeers will now cut down the nets to celebrate their three-straight A-10 regular season championships. Be sure to check GoXavier.com for all the post game recap information on tonights game.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Men's Hoops Update From The Palestra
The men's basketball team plays Saint Joseph's tonight at the historic Palestra on the Penn campus. The game will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 and 55KRC-AM.
Xavier has not played a game in the Palestra since the 1980-81 season when Bob Staak and the Musketeers lost to La Salle, 65-60, on December 10, 1980.
The Musketeers got a chance to practice this afternoon at The Palestra. Among those in attendance were two of the three announcers for tonight's game, Jon Sciambi and Tom Brennan, and the ESPN2 producer Rick Willenzik. In addition to get plenty of background information and prep from Tom Eiser, Brennan spent considerable time talking to Xavier Athletic Director Mike Bobinski about his role on the NCAA Basketball Selection Committee and about the process itself. The third announcer for tonight, Doug Gottlieb, arrived this afternoon on a flight because he had to do SportCenter this morning. He'll be rushing out after the game as well because he has a flight out tonight so he can be back on set for SportsCenter tomorrow.
That's some great exposure in front of some guys that will be doing plenty of studio work as we approach and work our way through March Madness.
For the record, the Xavier practice today is the second time Xavier has practiced at The Palestra since joining the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Musketeers got snowed in by a few feet of snow after beating La Salle on January 6, 1996. Instead of playing Temple on the night of Jan. 8 on national tv, the Musketeers played on the afternoon of Jan. 9 without tv and very few fans. The only practice they could get in was at the Palestra, which was across the street from their hotel (Penn Tower). It was like an Alaskan Adventure watching the team make its way a couple blocks through the snow. Fortunately, the weather is much better today in Philadelphia.
Xavier has not played a game in the Palestra since the 1980-81 season when Bob Staak and the Musketeers lost to La Salle, 65-60, on December 10, 1980.
The Musketeers got a chance to practice this afternoon at The Palestra. Among those in attendance were two of the three announcers for tonight's game, Jon Sciambi and Tom Brennan, and the ESPN2 producer Rick Willenzik. In addition to get plenty of background information and prep from Tom Eiser, Brennan spent considerable time talking to Xavier Athletic Director Mike Bobinski about his role on the NCAA Basketball Selection Committee and about the process itself. The third announcer for tonight, Doug Gottlieb, arrived this afternoon on a flight because he had to do SportCenter this morning. He'll be rushing out after the game as well because he has a flight out tonight so he can be back on set for SportsCenter tomorrow.
That's some great exposure in front of some guys that will be doing plenty of studio work as we approach and work our way through March Madness.
For the record, the Xavier practice today is the second time Xavier has practiced at The Palestra since joining the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Musketeers got snowed in by a few feet of snow after beating La Salle on January 6, 1996. Instead of playing Temple on the night of Jan. 8 on national tv, the Musketeers played on the afternoon of Jan. 9 without tv and very few fans. The only practice they could get in was at the Palestra, which was across the street from their hotel (Penn Tower). It was like an Alaskan Adventure watching the team make its way a couple blocks through the snow. Fortunately, the weather is much better today in Philadelphia.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Xavier vs. George Washington Live Blog
Welcome to this LIVE blog of the Xavier vs. George Washington match-up in Cintas Center this Sunday afternoon. The Musketeers are set to take the floor in their retro jerseys from the 1994-95, 1995-96 seasons (Skip Prosser's first year as XU Head Basketball Coach). The jerseys will be available for purchase on http://www.goxavier.com/.
Introdctions - The retro jerseys look fantastic. This blogger will be very jealous of the lucky Musketeer fans that win them in the GoXavier.com auctions.
First Half
19:18 - The Musketeers have opened with two straight turnovers, both of which credited to CJ Anderson. The fans are still standing for the first basket.
18:16 - Jason Love took a charge down low, giving the fans a little extra to clap about. The Colonials have come out with a full-court press...
17:52 - Rb Diggs for GW stole a Xavier pass and reverse-slammed the ensuing fast break opportunity. Thankfully, BJ Raymond sank a jumper for XU's first basket, tying the game at 2-2. A lot of sloppy play from both sides to open the half.
15:44 - Jason Love stole an errant GW pass, the fifth turnover of the game already, and took the fast break attempt on his own. Like Pau Gasol running the Lakers' break, Love sprinted down the floor for the lay-up. His shot was blocked, but GW goaltended, giving XU a 6-2 lead at the first media timeout.
14:23 - There's a trey from Dante Jackson. He's playing the two guard with Holloway on the floor as well. GW is still searching for their second basket.
13:02 - GW found its second basket in the form of a giant Damian Hollis dunk. Hollis started his move from the baseline, taking off just inside the paint. Musketeer fans boo'd as Hollis threw the ball back towards the XU baseline after his lame, earning a warning from the officials.
12:36 - Brad Redford hits from WAY downtown. There's a good start for the freshman.
11:44 - What a play! Derrick Brown sailed high above the rim to block a GW shot against the basket. On the ensuing fast break, Dante Jackson found Redford on the wing WIDE open for his second three of the game. GW immediately took a timeout. Once again the freshman is left open by opposing defenses. They must have film on him by now, and if not, they can check out youtube for his high school shooting resume.
11:09 - Xavier is enjoying a healthy 18-6 lead thanks to 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Dante Jackson hit yet another, making the Redford-Jackson combo 4-5 on the day so far.
8:31 - Six-of-nine three point shooting for XU is leaving GW in the dust. XU now has a 26-10 lead after GW broke into double digits with a Tony Taylor jumper.
6:02 - Derrick Brown just claimed his fourth rebound of the game. The junior seems to be having his way with the Colonials on the boards.
5:26 - While Brown is going hard to the hoop, the Colonials won't have it. They've fouled him very hard on several attempts now rather than let up the easy slam. Brown is 3-4 on his free throw attempts.
4:36 - Redford got a steal on one end, took the lead on the fastbreak, let everyone clear through around him, saw that none of the Colonials decided to guard him, and drained his third three of the game. He's the game's leading scorer with nine points and has only shot the ball three times.
3:13 - C.J. Anderson just drove the lane and had his shot blocked out of bounds. Karl Hobbs could be very clearly heard yelling to his players, "WHAT DOES CJ DO? WHAT DOES CJ DO? HE DRIVES!!"
2:22 - Derrick Brown took the lead on a fast break, with the crowd moving to the edge of their seats, and gave one of his best dunking performances of his career. The junior took off from the A-10 logo, displayed incredible hang time WAY above the rim, and gave the ball an authorative tomahawk slam home. Let's hope the photographers got that one in frame, he may have been above the frame of the backboard cam. Look for this one on ESPN's Sportscenter tonight.
Halftime - Xavier leads 36-20 at the half. Redford is still the leading scorer for XU, going 3-4 from deep.
Second Half
18:03 - Raymond is great at the pump fake. His fake beyond the arc on the left wing sent a Colonial sailing by while he took another dribble, reset himself, and sank the open jumper.
17:14 - Dante Jackson read the GW lob inbounds pass perfectly, jumping like a defensive back to knock it free and drain the breakaway layup.
15:47 - At the first media timeout of the half, the XU lead has ballooned to 44-23. At this rate, the potential to double GW's score is very real. The Colonials have three points so far in the half.
14:59 - There's another triple for Redford. After Kenny Frease made an attempt that hit the rim well short, the ball found its way to Redford yet again. The freshman regains his place as the game's leading scorer.
12:32 - Dante Jackson and Katuka for GW have been assessed technical fouls. There was a little pushing and some aggressive words exchanged. Katuka has been getting into it with Frease, Love, and CJ Anderson most all of the game.
10:51 - While XU is well in control of the game, CJ Anderson is having a rough day. The senior is now 0-3 on field goals and 2-3 from the charity stripe. Both him and Kenny Frease have yet to make a bucket from the field.
10:10 - The Musketeers are getting free throws, but have not scored a field goal since the 15:04 mark. The lead is now 16. Make that 13, Witherspoon just sank a three.
9:04 - There we go: Dante Jackson drained his third trey in four attempts. The GW run is no more.
7:03 - CJ made a great spin move and floater over two GW defenders... But the officials called traveling. Anderson is now 0-4 from the field with four made free throws.
6:51 - Jason Love went down on the last play grabbing his shoulder. Head Trainer Mike Mulcahey looked him over on the bench, and he elected not to bring him back to the locker room. Love seems to be alright.
5:41 - There's a basket for Anderson - the senior is on the board from the floor after a driving layup hit the bottom of the basket.
4:55 - The full-court press is on for GW. Xavier has yet to make a turnover, breaking it consistently, but the Colonials are certainly making it a rough going from baseline to baseline.
The Musketeers can't seem to get a rhythm going in their half-court offense though. The lead is now 11.
1:26 - Even with a 17-point lead with less than two minutes left, Sean Miller has elected to keep all his starters in. A blowout victory may be just what the doctor ordered for the Musketeers.
0:15 - CJ Anderson just hit the second three-pointer of his career. Way to go CJ!
Final Score - Xavier wins 71-53. Be sure to check www.GoXavier.com for all the recap information for today's game. Thanks for visiting the X-Blog!
Introdctions - The retro jerseys look fantastic. This blogger will be very jealous of the lucky Musketeer fans that win them in the GoXavier.com auctions.
First Half
19:18 - The Musketeers have opened with two straight turnovers, both of which credited to CJ Anderson. The fans are still standing for the first basket.
18:16 - Jason Love took a charge down low, giving the fans a little extra to clap about. The Colonials have come out with a full-court press...
17:52 - Rb Diggs for GW stole a Xavier pass and reverse-slammed the ensuing fast break opportunity. Thankfully, BJ Raymond sank a jumper for XU's first basket, tying the game at 2-2. A lot of sloppy play from both sides to open the half.
15:44 - Jason Love stole an errant GW pass, the fifth turnover of the game already, and took the fast break attempt on his own. Like Pau Gasol running the Lakers' break, Love sprinted down the floor for the lay-up. His shot was blocked, but GW goaltended, giving XU a 6-2 lead at the first media timeout.
14:23 - There's a trey from Dante Jackson. He's playing the two guard with Holloway on the floor as well. GW is still searching for their second basket.
13:02 - GW found its second basket in the form of a giant Damian Hollis dunk. Hollis started his move from the baseline, taking off just inside the paint. Musketeer fans boo'd as Hollis threw the ball back towards the XU baseline after his lame, earning a warning from the officials.
12:36 - Brad Redford hits from WAY downtown. There's a good start for the freshman.
11:44 - What a play! Derrick Brown sailed high above the rim to block a GW shot against the basket. On the ensuing fast break, Dante Jackson found Redford on the wing WIDE open for his second three of the game. GW immediately took a timeout. Once again the freshman is left open by opposing defenses. They must have film on him by now, and if not, they can check out youtube for his high school shooting resume.
11:09 - Xavier is enjoying a healthy 18-6 lead thanks to 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Dante Jackson hit yet another, making the Redford-Jackson combo 4-5 on the day so far.
8:31 - Six-of-nine three point shooting for XU is leaving GW in the dust. XU now has a 26-10 lead after GW broke into double digits with a Tony Taylor jumper.
6:02 - Derrick Brown just claimed his fourth rebound of the game. The junior seems to be having his way with the Colonials on the boards.
5:26 - While Brown is going hard to the hoop, the Colonials won't have it. They've fouled him very hard on several attempts now rather than let up the easy slam. Brown is 3-4 on his free throw attempts.
4:36 - Redford got a steal on one end, took the lead on the fastbreak, let everyone clear through around him, saw that none of the Colonials decided to guard him, and drained his third three of the game. He's the game's leading scorer with nine points and has only shot the ball three times.
3:13 - C.J. Anderson just drove the lane and had his shot blocked out of bounds. Karl Hobbs could be very clearly heard yelling to his players, "WHAT DOES CJ DO? WHAT DOES CJ DO? HE DRIVES!!"
2:22 - Derrick Brown took the lead on a fast break, with the crowd moving to the edge of their seats, and gave one of his best dunking performances of his career. The junior took off from the A-10 logo, displayed incredible hang time WAY above the rim, and gave the ball an authorative tomahawk slam home. Let's hope the photographers got that one in frame, he may have been above the frame of the backboard cam. Look for this one on ESPN's Sportscenter tonight.
Halftime - Xavier leads 36-20 at the half. Redford is still the leading scorer for XU, going 3-4 from deep.
Second Half
18:03 - Raymond is great at the pump fake. His fake beyond the arc on the left wing sent a Colonial sailing by while he took another dribble, reset himself, and sank the open jumper.
17:14 - Dante Jackson read the GW lob inbounds pass perfectly, jumping like a defensive back to knock it free and drain the breakaway layup.
15:47 - At the first media timeout of the half, the XU lead has ballooned to 44-23. At this rate, the potential to double GW's score is very real. The Colonials have three points so far in the half.
14:59 - There's another triple for Redford. After Kenny Frease made an attempt that hit the rim well short, the ball found its way to Redford yet again. The freshman regains his place as the game's leading scorer.
12:32 - Dante Jackson and Katuka for GW have been assessed technical fouls. There was a little pushing and some aggressive words exchanged. Katuka has been getting into it with Frease, Love, and CJ Anderson most all of the game.
10:51 - While XU is well in control of the game, CJ Anderson is having a rough day. The senior is now 0-3 on field goals and 2-3 from the charity stripe. Both him and Kenny Frease have yet to make a bucket from the field.
10:10 - The Musketeers are getting free throws, but have not scored a field goal since the 15:04 mark. The lead is now 16. Make that 13, Witherspoon just sank a three.
9:04 - There we go: Dante Jackson drained his third trey in four attempts. The GW run is no more.
7:03 - CJ made a great spin move and floater over two GW defenders... But the officials called traveling. Anderson is now 0-4 from the field with four made free throws.
6:51 - Jason Love went down on the last play grabbing his shoulder. Head Trainer Mike Mulcahey looked him over on the bench, and he elected not to bring him back to the locker room. Love seems to be alright.
5:41 - There's a basket for Anderson - the senior is on the board from the floor after a driving layup hit the bottom of the basket.
4:55 - The full-court press is on for GW. Xavier has yet to make a turnover, breaking it consistently, but the Colonials are certainly making it a rough going from baseline to baseline.
The Musketeers can't seem to get a rhythm going in their half-court offense though. The lead is now 11.
1:26 - Even with a 17-point lead with less than two minutes left, Sean Miller has elected to keep all his starters in. A blowout victory may be just what the doctor ordered for the Musketeers.
0:15 - CJ Anderson just hit the second three-pointer of his career. Way to go CJ!
Final Score - Xavier wins 71-53. Be sure to check www.GoXavier.com for all the recap information for today's game. Thanks for visiting the X-Blog!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Xavier vs. Charlotte Live Blog
Welcome to another edition of the X-Blog, as the Xavier University men's basketball team gets set to take on the Charlotte 49ers. This is an opportunity for the Musketeers to get back on track away from Cintas Center, having lost two straight on the road.
UPDATE 6:15 - Head coach Sean Miller was visited by an old friend prior to tonight's game: Orlando Magic Stan Van Gundy. In town to play the Charlotte Bobcats tomorrow, Van Gundy paid Miller a visit in the lobby of the team hotel. Miller served as an assistant under Van Gundy at the Univeristy of Wisconsin.
UPDATE 6:57 - As we near tipoff, I notice one distinct difference in the atmosphere at the arena tonight: the student section is in the lower bowl along the sideline. Not tucked in the corner or along the baseline, but taking up three and a half sections along the sideline where the benches are located. The rest of the arena is sparcely populated at the moment, but the student section is out in full force in their prime seats.
UPDATE 7:08 - This is shaping up to be a defensive battle, although there have been a number of stopages. At 4-3 in the first media timeout, Xavier hasn't been able to get out and run much yet, and neither team looks quite in sync on offense.
UPDATE 7:17 - Despite only hitting two of their 11 attempts from the field thus far, the Musketeers are even with 49ers, 9-9. XU is doing with free throw shooting, hitting all four of their attemps from the charity stripe thus far, drawing enthusiastic applause from coach Miller with every make.
UPDATE 7:26 - Jamel McLean is back to his energetic ways. After hustling and fighting for a pair of defensive rebounds, McLean took a nice feed from Holloway to the basket and drew the foul while making the basket to head into a media timeout. His athletic ability continues to amaze.
UPDATE 7:36 - At 24-23 in favor of Charlotte with just over three minutes left in the half, credit has to be given to the intensity of the 49ers defense, led by Charlie Coley. He has two blocks, both coming on what looked like sure buckets for XU. There are no easy baskets in this game.
UPDATE 7:47 - A three-pointer by Javarris Barnett as time expired to end the half has given Charlotte a 29-27 lead at the break. The Xavier defense, which had been less than stellar in the Musketeers' previous two road losses, has been on the mark tonight, but you have to believe coach Miller will tweak the offense at halftime.
UPDATE 8:10 - Xavier won the first four-minute war of the half, outscoring the 49ers 8-7 before the buzzer sounded for the first media timeout. Xavier still trails, 36-35, but the Musketeers have four more chances to win each battle.
UPDATE 8:21 - At Xavier, the best offense is a good defense. After Jason Love blocked a shot on one end, B.J. Raymond hit a three-pointer in transition to give XU the 41-39 advantage. For those keeping track, the Musketeers won that four-minute battle 6-3.
UPDATE 8:31 - The crowd is buzzing as the horn sounds for a media timeout and Charlotte clings to a one-point lead, 47-46. The offense has certainly picked up for XU in the second half, but one of the players reponsible for that uptick in production, C.J. Anderson, just picked up his fourth foul and headed the bench.
UPDATE 8:44 - It all comes down to the final four-minute battle. Charlotte holds a three-point edge, 56-53, with 3:27 to play. Check goxavier.com for a recap and stats from tonight's game after the final buzzer sounds.
UPDATE 6:15 - Head coach Sean Miller was visited by an old friend prior to tonight's game: Orlando Magic Stan Van Gundy. In town to play the Charlotte Bobcats tomorrow, Van Gundy paid Miller a visit in the lobby of the team hotel. Miller served as an assistant under Van Gundy at the Univeristy of Wisconsin.
UPDATE 6:57 - As we near tipoff, I notice one distinct difference in the atmosphere at the arena tonight: the student section is in the lower bowl along the sideline. Not tucked in the corner or along the baseline, but taking up three and a half sections along the sideline where the benches are located. The rest of the arena is sparcely populated at the moment, but the student section is out in full force in their prime seats.
UPDATE 7:08 - This is shaping up to be a defensive battle, although there have been a number of stopages. At 4-3 in the first media timeout, Xavier hasn't been able to get out and run much yet, and neither team looks quite in sync on offense.
UPDATE 7:17 - Despite only hitting two of their 11 attempts from the field thus far, the Musketeers are even with 49ers, 9-9. XU is doing with free throw shooting, hitting all four of their attemps from the charity stripe thus far, drawing enthusiastic applause from coach Miller with every make.
UPDATE 7:26 - Jamel McLean is back to his energetic ways. After hustling and fighting for a pair of defensive rebounds, McLean took a nice feed from Holloway to the basket and drew the foul while making the basket to head into a media timeout. His athletic ability continues to amaze.
UPDATE 7:36 - At 24-23 in favor of Charlotte with just over three minutes left in the half, credit has to be given to the intensity of the 49ers defense, led by Charlie Coley. He has two blocks, both coming on what looked like sure buckets for XU. There are no easy baskets in this game.
UPDATE 7:47 - A three-pointer by Javarris Barnett as time expired to end the half has given Charlotte a 29-27 lead at the break. The Xavier defense, which had been less than stellar in the Musketeers' previous two road losses, has been on the mark tonight, but you have to believe coach Miller will tweak the offense at halftime.
UPDATE 8:10 - Xavier won the first four-minute war of the half, outscoring the 49ers 8-7 before the buzzer sounded for the first media timeout. Xavier still trails, 36-35, but the Musketeers have four more chances to win each battle.
UPDATE 8:21 - At Xavier, the best offense is a good defense. After Jason Love blocked a shot on one end, B.J. Raymond hit a three-pointer in transition to give XU the 41-39 advantage. For those keeping track, the Musketeers won that four-minute battle 6-3.
UPDATE 8:31 - The crowd is buzzing as the horn sounds for a media timeout and Charlotte clings to a one-point lead, 47-46. The offense has certainly picked up for XU in the second half, but one of the players reponsible for that uptick in production, C.J. Anderson, just picked up his fourth foul and headed the bench.
UPDATE 8:44 - It all comes down to the final four-minute battle. Charlotte holds a three-point edge, 56-53, with 3:27 to play. Check goxavier.com for a recap and stats from tonight's game after the final buzzer sounds.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Xavier vs. Fordham Live Blog
Welcome again to the X Blog for LIVE coverage of the Xavier vs. Fordham Valentine's Day match-up. The lights have been dimmed, the starters announced, and we are ready to tip off!
First Half
19:58 - Head Coach Sean Miller called a meeting with the X-Treme fans yesterday to discuss ways to make the group even louder and more organized. The team entered the building down the stairs next to the student section, there was a new intro. video, and the student section is screaming "boing" for every dribble, "pass" for every pass, and "BRICK!" for every Fordham shot. The meeting seems to have worked.
15:37 - At the first media timeout, both teams are shooting 40 percent. Dante Jackson hit a three-pointer after several Musketeer possessions at the 17:44 mark for XU's first basket.
14:27 - Dante Jackson is off to a great start. He just hit his second trey on three attempts, leading the Muskies with eight points already in six minutes of play. Not to be out-done, Redford sank one from downtown as well. The XU lead is three, 13-10.
12:38 - Jio Fontan of the Rams drained a three-pointer with one second left on the clock. He pulled up from at least five feet behind the arc. Sean Miller can't believe it, and neither can the fans. Five of the last seven made baskets have been three's.
9:44 - Apparently Brad Redford wasn't talked about much in the Rams' game plan. He was left open behind the arc on the second straight possession, which is a no-no for any Xavier opponent. Redford capitalized, draining both attempts. He's now 3-4 from deep.
4:26 - A Brad Redford steal just turned into a BJ Raymond three-pointer. Derrick Brown followed with one of his own on the next possession. The Musketeers are 8-14 from beyond the arc, and have been left open for them on a consistent basis. If the Rams don't extend to the perimeter, this percentage will leave them behind VERY fast. The flurry of treys has led to a 16-6 run over the last 6:41.
0:30 - Sean Miller has called a timeout to set up a play for the final 30 seconds and get Brad Redford in the game. Let's see if the freshman can get another.
Halftime - Redford dished to Brown on the block for a slam to finish the half. The freshman demanded the defensive respect that left Brown wide open.
Second Half
17:37 - Xavier has come out strong from halftime. Jason Love added four points to his total already this half, helping XU open a 9-2 run so far. Fordham has yet to hit a field goal. This could be a long second half for them. XU shows no signs of slowing down.
11:21 - Redford may have been six feet behind the line on that last three. The Rams have not learned their lesson. The freshman is now 5-7 from deep.
9:49 - A HUGE Jamel McLean block led to a fast break that would have ended in a giant Derrick Brown slam if the pass was not deflected out of bounds. That break had the makings of a fantastic finish...
5:31 - WOW! Derrick Brown just posterized a Fordham defender on a fast break. Dante Jackson left the ball for him and Brown took off with no concern for the Fordham defensive attempt. Hopefully someone got a picture of that.
4:16 - Stephen Duckett just sank a trey from Brad Redford distance, bring the fans to their feet. XU has tied their season-high for three-pointers.
Final - Xavier has defeated Fordham 88-53. Everyone that played for XU scored a bucket, including a three-pointer for Stephen Duckett and a layup for Joe Hughes. For such a blowout, a surprising number of fans have stayed through 'til the final buzzer. Many career and season highs were set tonight. For a full recap of the game, check www.GoXavier.com.
First Half
19:58 - Head Coach Sean Miller called a meeting with the X-Treme fans yesterday to discuss ways to make the group even louder and more organized. The team entered the building down the stairs next to the student section, there was a new intro. video, and the student section is screaming "boing" for every dribble, "pass" for every pass, and "BRICK!" for every Fordham shot. The meeting seems to have worked.
15:37 - At the first media timeout, both teams are shooting 40 percent. Dante Jackson hit a three-pointer after several Musketeer possessions at the 17:44 mark for XU's first basket.
14:27 - Dante Jackson is off to a great start. He just hit his second trey on three attempts, leading the Muskies with eight points already in six minutes of play. Not to be out-done, Redford sank one from downtown as well. The XU lead is three, 13-10.
12:38 - Jio Fontan of the Rams drained a three-pointer with one second left on the clock. He pulled up from at least five feet behind the arc. Sean Miller can't believe it, and neither can the fans. Five of the last seven made baskets have been three's.
9:44 - Apparently Brad Redford wasn't talked about much in the Rams' game plan. He was left open behind the arc on the second straight possession, which is a no-no for any Xavier opponent. Redford capitalized, draining both attempts. He's now 3-4 from deep.
4:26 - A Brad Redford steal just turned into a BJ Raymond three-pointer. Derrick Brown followed with one of his own on the next possession. The Musketeers are 8-14 from beyond the arc, and have been left open for them on a consistent basis. If the Rams don't extend to the perimeter, this percentage will leave them behind VERY fast. The flurry of treys has led to a 16-6 run over the last 6:41.
0:30 - Sean Miller has called a timeout to set up a play for the final 30 seconds and get Brad Redford in the game. Let's see if the freshman can get another.
Halftime - Redford dished to Brown on the block for a slam to finish the half. The freshman demanded the defensive respect that left Brown wide open.
Second Half
17:37 - Xavier has come out strong from halftime. Jason Love added four points to his total already this half, helping XU open a 9-2 run so far. Fordham has yet to hit a field goal. This could be a long second half for them. XU shows no signs of slowing down.
11:21 - Redford may have been six feet behind the line on that last three. The Rams have not learned their lesson. The freshman is now 5-7 from deep.
9:49 - A HUGE Jamel McLean block led to a fast break that would have ended in a giant Derrick Brown slam if the pass was not deflected out of bounds. That break had the makings of a fantastic finish...
5:31 - WOW! Derrick Brown just posterized a Fordham defender on a fast break. Dante Jackson left the ball for him and Brown took off with no concern for the Fordham defensive attempt. Hopefully someone got a picture of that.
4:16 - Stephen Duckett just sank a trey from Brad Redford distance, bring the fans to their feet. XU has tied their season-high for three-pointers.
Final - Xavier has defeated Fordham 88-53. Everyone that played for XU scored a bucket, including a three-pointer for Stephen Duckett and a layup for Joe Hughes. For such a blowout, a surprising number of fans have stayed through 'til the final buzzer. Many career and season highs were set tonight. For a full recap of the game, check www.GoXavier.com.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Xavier vs. Dayton Live Blog
Welcome to the latest edition of the X-blog. With the Musketeers taking the court just about a half hour before tonight's tipoff, the fans were kind enough to welcome them with a chorus that will be a familiar echo tonight: boos. At this point in the season, XU is no stranger to hostile environments and is used to playing with an 'X' on their back (pardon the pun). As we move closer to tipoff, here are tonight's starters:
Xavier:
F - Derrick Brown
F - C.J. Anderson
C - Jason Love
G - B.J. Raymond
G - Terrell Holloway
No surprises here for XU. One of the things to watch, for those tuning in on ESPN Classic at 7, will be point guard play. The intense defensive pressure Dayton places on its opponents will be a challenge for the duo of Holloway and Dante Jackson.
Dayton:
F - Charles Little
F - Chris Wright
C - Kurt Huelsman
G - Marcus Johnson
G - London Warren
UPDATE 7:00 - It's on. Starting lineups are being introduced and we are mere minutes from tipoff.
UPDATE 7:03 - A spin-off of the Pittsburgh Steelers terrible towel, the Dayton faithful have been given white towels, providing a stark contrast to the "Red Out" in effect for tonight's game. You can tell this game means more than the average game to these fans.
UPDATE 7:05 - The first taste of this tenacious Dayton defense resulted in a shot clock that got down around five before a charging call ended the Musketeers' first impression. After a three-point play and a putback, Dayton has a 5-0 lead.
UPDATE 7:07 - And the second time down the floor, this time there was a shot clock violation on XU. Getting into the offense hasn't been difficult for the Muskies, but finding breathing room has. Anytime an XU player touches the ball, he is quickly created by a Flyer mere inches away.
UPDATE 7:09 - After tweaking his ankle in the game against Duquesne, it's a welcome sight to see freshman Kenny Frease enter the game less than three minutes into the game. We'll be keeping an eye on him as the game progresses.
UPDATE 7:12 - B.J. Raymond just took the lid off the basket for the Musketeers, getting their first field goal to make it 8-3 in favor of Dayton heading in the first media timeout. It's difficult to say if there are any specific strategies the Flyers are using, because they work as hard as any team that XU has played this season on defense. The Muskies are going to have to take and make a lot of tough shots tonight.
UPDATE 7:17 - One of the team leaders, senior C.J. Anderson is on the bench with two fouls, both coming on charges (although the second one was questionable). Dante Jackson has entered the game and that will certainly effect the Musketeer rotation in the first half.
UPDATE 7:18 - And as that is posted, Anderson has walked to the scorer's table and will check back into the game. Head coach Sean Miller is showing a lot of faith in one his team leaders.
UPDATE 7:24 - I have to admit that trying to blog for this game is going to be a challenge. Those of you seeing what I am seeing on ESPN Classic are witnessing two of the toughest defensive teams in the conference. Every drive to the basket is contested. There is a always a defender there on the catch. And the refs are certainly allowing the game to be physical.
UPDATE 7:28 - One of the strengths of this Musketeers program is not only the coaching, but the fact that players respond to that coaching. The last handoff by Love to Raymond, who then pump-faked the over-aggressive Flyer defending him, is an example of that quality.
UPDATE 7:35 - At the under eight-minute media timeout, Dayton holds an eight point lead, but already has three players with two fouls each. Kurt Huelsman and Marcus Johnson, both starters, each have a pair, as does starting point guard London Warren. Complicated matters for the Flyers, the other half of Dayton's dynmaic point guard tandem, Rob Lowery, went out with a knee injury mid-way through the half. That will force the Flyers to turn to sophomore Stephen Thomas.
UPDATE 7:38 - Another Flyer just picked up his second foul, with Chris Wright getting called for the charge. This may have no bearing on the game, as it's still early, but it bears watching as the game progresses.
UPDATE 7:41 - Reiterating what coach Miller said after the Temple game, Raymond may be playing as well as any player at his position in the country right now. He's averaging over 20 points in the last five games and has 10 tonight after hitting a trey to pull XU within one, 22-21.
UPDATE 7:45 - The true mark of a shooter is being willing to take the next shot. After getting blocked while trying to take a three-pointer in transition on his last attempt, freshman Brad Redford showed no fear when pulling the trigger on a trey that pulled XU within one, 25-24, once again.
UPDATE 7:49 - Right now, XU is being outrebounded by Dayton, 17-15. Although, the seven offensive rebounds that the Musketeers have allowed might be more concerning for coach Miller. Another part of tonight's story line is that the Muskies have only attempted four free throws while the Flyers are in double digits. A strange phenonmenon for a team that is near the nation's leaders in free throw attempts per game.
UPDATE 7:56 - At halftime, Dayton leads 33-28, getting an extra point on a strange play that resulted in a pair of free throws with less than two seconds to play. After the Flyers wound the play clock down under 5 seconds, an off balance jumper charomed off the rim. With still around four seconds to play, the Musketeers let the rebound wander aimlessly, where the Flyers' Thomas picked it up and drew the foul. He hit one of two free throws will the Muskie will surely hear about the mental mistake at half time.
UPDATE 8:12 - In response to the XU blunder at the end of the first half and Anderson's three fouls, coach Miller is going with a second half staring lineup of Jason Love, Jamel McLean, Derrick Brown, B.J. Raymond and Dante Jackson. A little shake up for the Musketeers.
UPDATE 8:15 - Foul trouble is once again rearing its ugly head for the Flyers, with starters London Warren and Kurt Huelsman picking up their third fouls in the first two minutes of the second half.
UPDATE 8:22 - After getting a boost from Raymond in the first half, Brown has pulled XU within three, 42-39, with back-to-back dunks. The first came off an inbound play under the basket, and the second was the result of a Dayton turnover that Frease turned into a long outlet pass that Brown threw down. Brown has six points in the half.
UPDATE 8:37 - The Flyers have been scorching from the field in the second half, hitting eight of their first 12 shots. UD only shot 40.7 percent from the field in the first half.
UPDATE 8:47 - Having won the last six games between these two teams by an average of over 14 points, XU is trailing Dayton 57-50 with just about seven minutes to play. The Flyers have tried to pull away a few times, but Brown's 12 second-half points have kept XU in this game.
UPDATE 8:55 - Marcus Johnson scored five straight points as part of a 7-0 run by UD, giving the Flyers their largest lead of the game, 64-50. With around five minutes to play, XU will need stops on defense to mount a comeback.
Xavier:
F - Derrick Brown
F - C.J. Anderson
C - Jason Love
G - B.J. Raymond
G - Terrell Holloway
No surprises here for XU. One of the things to watch, for those tuning in on ESPN Classic at 7, will be point guard play. The intense defensive pressure Dayton places on its opponents will be a challenge for the duo of Holloway and Dante Jackson.
Dayton:
F - Charles Little
F - Chris Wright
C - Kurt Huelsman
G - Marcus Johnson
G - London Warren
UPDATE 7:00 - It's on. Starting lineups are being introduced and we are mere minutes from tipoff.
UPDATE 7:03 - A spin-off of the Pittsburgh Steelers terrible towel, the Dayton faithful have been given white towels, providing a stark contrast to the "Red Out" in effect for tonight's game. You can tell this game means more than the average game to these fans.
UPDATE 7:05 - The first taste of this tenacious Dayton defense resulted in a shot clock that got down around five before a charging call ended the Musketeers' first impression. After a three-point play and a putback, Dayton has a 5-0 lead.
UPDATE 7:07 - And the second time down the floor, this time there was a shot clock violation on XU. Getting into the offense hasn't been difficult for the Muskies, but finding breathing room has. Anytime an XU player touches the ball, he is quickly created by a Flyer mere inches away.
UPDATE 7:09 - After tweaking his ankle in the game against Duquesne, it's a welcome sight to see freshman Kenny Frease enter the game less than three minutes into the game. We'll be keeping an eye on him as the game progresses.
UPDATE 7:12 - B.J. Raymond just took the lid off the basket for the Musketeers, getting their first field goal to make it 8-3 in favor of Dayton heading in the first media timeout. It's difficult to say if there are any specific strategies the Flyers are using, because they work as hard as any team that XU has played this season on defense. The Muskies are going to have to take and make a lot of tough shots tonight.
UPDATE 7:17 - One of the team leaders, senior C.J. Anderson is on the bench with two fouls, both coming on charges (although the second one was questionable). Dante Jackson has entered the game and that will certainly effect the Musketeer rotation in the first half.
UPDATE 7:18 - And as that is posted, Anderson has walked to the scorer's table and will check back into the game. Head coach Sean Miller is showing a lot of faith in one his team leaders.
UPDATE 7:24 - I have to admit that trying to blog for this game is going to be a challenge. Those of you seeing what I am seeing on ESPN Classic are witnessing two of the toughest defensive teams in the conference. Every drive to the basket is contested. There is a always a defender there on the catch. And the refs are certainly allowing the game to be physical.
UPDATE 7:28 - One of the strengths of this Musketeers program is not only the coaching, but the fact that players respond to that coaching. The last handoff by Love to Raymond, who then pump-faked the over-aggressive Flyer defending him, is an example of that quality.
UPDATE 7:35 - At the under eight-minute media timeout, Dayton holds an eight point lead, but already has three players with two fouls each. Kurt Huelsman and Marcus Johnson, both starters, each have a pair, as does starting point guard London Warren. Complicated matters for the Flyers, the other half of Dayton's dynmaic point guard tandem, Rob Lowery, went out with a knee injury mid-way through the half. That will force the Flyers to turn to sophomore Stephen Thomas.
UPDATE 7:38 - Another Flyer just picked up his second foul, with Chris Wright getting called for the charge. This may have no bearing on the game, as it's still early, but it bears watching as the game progresses.
UPDATE 7:41 - Reiterating what coach Miller said after the Temple game, Raymond may be playing as well as any player at his position in the country right now. He's averaging over 20 points in the last five games and has 10 tonight after hitting a trey to pull XU within one, 22-21.
UPDATE 7:45 - The true mark of a shooter is being willing to take the next shot. After getting blocked while trying to take a three-pointer in transition on his last attempt, freshman Brad Redford showed no fear when pulling the trigger on a trey that pulled XU within one, 25-24, once again.
UPDATE 7:49 - Right now, XU is being outrebounded by Dayton, 17-15. Although, the seven offensive rebounds that the Musketeers have allowed might be more concerning for coach Miller. Another part of tonight's story line is that the Muskies have only attempted four free throws while the Flyers are in double digits. A strange phenonmenon for a team that is near the nation's leaders in free throw attempts per game.
UPDATE 7:56 - At halftime, Dayton leads 33-28, getting an extra point on a strange play that resulted in a pair of free throws with less than two seconds to play. After the Flyers wound the play clock down under 5 seconds, an off balance jumper charomed off the rim. With still around four seconds to play, the Musketeers let the rebound wander aimlessly, where the Flyers' Thomas picked it up and drew the foul. He hit one of two free throws will the Muskie will surely hear about the mental mistake at half time.
UPDATE 8:12 - In response to the XU blunder at the end of the first half and Anderson's three fouls, coach Miller is going with a second half staring lineup of Jason Love, Jamel McLean, Derrick Brown, B.J. Raymond and Dante Jackson. A little shake up for the Musketeers.
UPDATE 8:15 - Foul trouble is once again rearing its ugly head for the Flyers, with starters London Warren and Kurt Huelsman picking up their third fouls in the first two minutes of the second half.
UPDATE 8:22 - After getting a boost from Raymond in the first half, Brown has pulled XU within three, 42-39, with back-to-back dunks. The first came off an inbound play under the basket, and the second was the result of a Dayton turnover that Frease turned into a long outlet pass that Brown threw down. Brown has six points in the half.
UPDATE 8:37 - The Flyers have been scorching from the field in the second half, hitting eight of their first 12 shots. UD only shot 40.7 percent from the field in the first half.
UPDATE 8:47 - Having won the last six games between these two teams by an average of over 14 points, XU is trailing Dayton 57-50 with just about seven minutes to play. The Flyers have tried to pull away a few times, but Brown's 12 second-half points have kept XU in this game.
UPDATE 8:55 - Marcus Johnson scored five straight points as part of a 7-0 run by UD, giving the Flyers their largest lead of the game, 64-50. With around five minutes to play, XU will need stops on defense to mount a comeback.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Women's Hoops on ESPN.com
Also check out this link, in which ESPN.com ranks the 10-best women's basketball teams to not play in a BCS Conference (you know how we hate the M*d-M***r phrase at Xavier). You may need an insider account but below is the XU synopsis.
2. Xavier (20-4): Speaking of teams on a roll, Xavier has yet to lose in 2009 after it improved to 10-0 in the new calendar year with a win at Richmond over the weekend. The Musketeers are understandably known for the defensive symphonies they can orchestrate (see: Rhode Island's 29-point performance), but on the offensive end, they're actually shooting the ball better than they did a season ago. Chalk that up to Ta'Shia Phillips and her 63.5 percent shooting inside the arc, but it's also true from long range. The team had just two players hit as many as 20 3-pointers last season; this season, four players have already eclipsed that mark and three of them are shooting better than 36 percent from back there.
2. Xavier (20-4): Speaking of teams on a roll, Xavier has yet to lose in 2009 after it improved to 10-0 in the new calendar year with a win at Richmond over the weekend. The Musketeers are understandably known for the defensive symphonies they can orchestrate (see: Rhode Island's 29-point performance), but on the offensive end, they're actually shooting the ball better than they did a season ago. Chalk that up to Ta'Shia Phillips and her 63.5 percent shooting inside the arc, but it's also true from long range. The team had just two players hit as many as 20 3-pointers last season; this season, four players have already eclipsed that mark and three of them are shooting better than 36 percent from back there.
Cintas Center's Toughest Place to Play Campaign Update
Check out the latest blog post on EA Sports.com, which details EA Sports' visit to Cintas during the Temple game.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Xavier vs. Temple February 5, 2009
Welcome to this LIVE blog of the No. 9/9 Xavier University Musketeers match-up with the Temple Owls. The game is being televised nationally on ESPN.
75:45 until tip-off: More than an hour before tip-off, you can already tell that this game is not like all the rest. The match-up and the presence of EA Sports producers has ratcheted up the fanfare. There are sheets of newspaper over ALL of the lower-level seats, which should make for an incredible explosion after the first XU basket. There are extra lights set up for the introduction, and the entrances warn that there will be "strobe lights used" as well. Hubert Davis and Jon Sciambi will be calling the game for ESPN. There is a rumor that there are over 20 NBA scouts in attendance as well. Few fans have arrived yet, so it is still to be seen whether the Blue and White Night marketing plan will yield a perfect rotation of Xavier colors throughout the Cintas Center. This is a special night for Muskie basketball!
31:34 until tip-off: The fans are starting to trickle in now, and there's a notable segregation of blue-wearing fans and white-wearing fans. The Blue and White Night is on its way to success. Xavier photographer Greg Rust is taking photos of the X-TREME fans for use in the Xavier Magazine. A better game could not have been chosen. So far, the fan signs that are visible read "Christmas is Overrated" and "Where is Erin Andrews?"
6:42 until tip-off: Stanley Burrell is in the house! He just walked in through the players entrance and the fans didn't miss it. He has a full head of black hair now, no more of the shaved look. Welcome back Stan.
1:00 until tip-off: Blue and White Night is a success to the tune of at least an 80% participation rate. Kudos to the Xavier marketing department for conducting a successful campaign and thanks to the fans!
Tip-off: Cintas Center is a madhouse. I'm sure it looks great on ESPN too.
First Half
19:10 - C.J. Anderson has gone at the Temple front court twice now with success. The Owls will have to be more physical to stop what many consider Xavier's toughest man on the floor.
15:23 - The student section is almost entirely blue, and they let Temple hear it after B.J. Raymond sank a three-pointer to give XU a 9-6 lead.
12:49 - Temple took the lead on a three-pointer, 12-9, and followed it up with a lay-up from Dionte Christmas. Sean Miller took a timeout, he doesn't like what he sees. The fans are waiting for the Musketeers to answer the Owl 10-0 run.
11:48 - The McAllister's Deli Feed Your Row Trivia Question went to Father Graham tonight. The question being "Who has the best student section in college basketball?" Naturally, Xavier was the choice, and the students roar. It was announced immediately after that Father Graham was sending 50 LaRosa's pizzas to the student section. What a great guy.
11:04 - Brad Redford hit from three feet behind the line on a wide open shot. The Owls must know that his range goes into the upper deck. Not to be outdone, BJ Raymond drained two straight treys of his own with a roar fit for March.
7:17 - The Owls came out of the media timeout and showed a full-court zone press. A coach will tell you the best way to deter a press is score off it on a fast break. The Musketeers made two swift passes to find Brad Redford for another trey. The Owls didn't return to the press after their next made basket.
5:02 - Nobody boxed out Derrick Brown, so he cleaned up a CJ Anderson miss with a slam. He's been looking for a dunk on several of the XU fast breaks now.
3:49 - BJ Raymond is on fire. He just hit his fourth deep ball on five attempts, this one coming as the shot clock wined down. The senior leads the game with 12 points, all on three's. Meanwhile, Dionte Christmas is 2-6 with four points.
0:58 - Derrick Brown dropped a three, pushing the Xavier shooting from behind the arc to 7-11. The 63.6 percentage is a reason XU is ahead.
Halftime - Xavier leads 38-34 at half time. Xavier is shooting 51 percent from the field while Temple is shooting 44 percent. XU also leads fast break points 13-2.
16:17 - That's three straight calls from the officials that the fans were none too happy about. A push by Brown, carrying by Anderson, and now a foul on Redford that let to a Temple old-fashioned three point play.
15:16 - Jamel McLean just had three straight physical rebounds for his team. The crowd definitely recognized, and when his third (an offensive rebound) was followed with a foul on the shot, the crowd nearly exploded when the lay-in went in-and-out. McLean will shoot two. Assistant Coach Chris Mack ran nearly across the court to tell him what a great job he's doing.
14:06 - BJ Raymond is giving the Cintas Center crowd and ESPN viewers a show. He's now 5-7 from downtown. Maybe the EA Sports crew can put an "automatic from beyond the arc" cheat in their next game for the Muskie senior.
9:26 - It's finally Brad Redford's game to shine. He's missed opportunities recently, going 0-8 in the previous three games. Tonight is a different story, as he is now 4-7 including a J.J. Reddick-esque trey off several staggered screens that brought the crowd to their feet and the Xavier bench running to congratulate after the ensuing timeout.
3:21 - The game has been well in hand for quite some time now. XU leads 74-59 at the moment. Three Musketeers are in double-digits, with Anderson and Brown at nine points. The performance has the feel of last season's balanced attack.
0:55 - The student section just orchestrated the first recurring fan wave this blogger has seen in four years at least. The lower and upper decks both threw their hands in the air at the right times, completing four successful rounds of the Cintas Center.
Final Score - Xavier 83, Temple 74. Check out www.GoXavier.com for the official recap of the game, statistics, and photos.
75:45 until tip-off: More than an hour before tip-off, you can already tell that this game is not like all the rest. The match-up and the presence of EA Sports producers has ratcheted up the fanfare. There are sheets of newspaper over ALL of the lower-level seats, which should make for an incredible explosion after the first XU basket. There are extra lights set up for the introduction, and the entrances warn that there will be "strobe lights used" as well. Hubert Davis and Jon Sciambi will be calling the game for ESPN. There is a rumor that there are over 20 NBA scouts in attendance as well. Few fans have arrived yet, so it is still to be seen whether the Blue and White Night marketing plan will yield a perfect rotation of Xavier colors throughout the Cintas Center. This is a special night for Muskie basketball!
31:34 until tip-off: The fans are starting to trickle in now, and there's a notable segregation of blue-wearing fans and white-wearing fans. The Blue and White Night is on its way to success. Xavier photographer Greg Rust is taking photos of the X-TREME fans for use in the Xavier Magazine. A better game could not have been chosen. So far, the fan signs that are visible read "Christmas is Overrated" and "Where is Erin Andrews?"
6:42 until tip-off: Stanley Burrell is in the house! He just walked in through the players entrance and the fans didn't miss it. He has a full head of black hair now, no more of the shaved look. Welcome back Stan.
1:00 until tip-off: Blue and White Night is a success to the tune of at least an 80% participation rate. Kudos to the Xavier marketing department for conducting a successful campaign and thanks to the fans!
Tip-off: Cintas Center is a madhouse. I'm sure it looks great on ESPN too.
First Half
19:10 - C.J. Anderson has gone at the Temple front court twice now with success. The Owls will have to be more physical to stop what many consider Xavier's toughest man on the floor.
15:23 - The student section is almost entirely blue, and they let Temple hear it after B.J. Raymond sank a three-pointer to give XU a 9-6 lead.
12:49 - Temple took the lead on a three-pointer, 12-9, and followed it up with a lay-up from Dionte Christmas. Sean Miller took a timeout, he doesn't like what he sees. The fans are waiting for the Musketeers to answer the Owl 10-0 run.
11:48 - The McAllister's Deli Feed Your Row Trivia Question went to Father Graham tonight. The question being "Who has the best student section in college basketball?" Naturally, Xavier was the choice, and the students roar. It was announced immediately after that Father Graham was sending 50 LaRosa's pizzas to the student section. What a great guy.
11:04 - Brad Redford hit from three feet behind the line on a wide open shot. The Owls must know that his range goes into the upper deck. Not to be outdone, BJ Raymond drained two straight treys of his own with a roar fit for March.
7:17 - The Owls came out of the media timeout and showed a full-court zone press. A coach will tell you the best way to deter a press is score off it on a fast break. The Musketeers made two swift passes to find Brad Redford for another trey. The Owls didn't return to the press after their next made basket.
5:02 - Nobody boxed out Derrick Brown, so he cleaned up a CJ Anderson miss with a slam. He's been looking for a dunk on several of the XU fast breaks now.
3:49 - BJ Raymond is on fire. He just hit his fourth deep ball on five attempts, this one coming as the shot clock wined down. The senior leads the game with 12 points, all on three's. Meanwhile, Dionte Christmas is 2-6 with four points.
0:58 - Derrick Brown dropped a three, pushing the Xavier shooting from behind the arc to 7-11. The 63.6 percentage is a reason XU is ahead.
Halftime - Xavier leads 38-34 at half time. Xavier is shooting 51 percent from the field while Temple is shooting 44 percent. XU also leads fast break points 13-2.
16:17 - That's three straight calls from the officials that the fans were none too happy about. A push by Brown, carrying by Anderson, and now a foul on Redford that let to a Temple old-fashioned three point play.
15:16 - Jamel McLean just had three straight physical rebounds for his team. The crowd definitely recognized, and when his third (an offensive rebound) was followed with a foul on the shot, the crowd nearly exploded when the lay-in went in-and-out. McLean will shoot two. Assistant Coach Chris Mack ran nearly across the court to tell him what a great job he's doing.
14:06 - BJ Raymond is giving the Cintas Center crowd and ESPN viewers a show. He's now 5-7 from downtown. Maybe the EA Sports crew can put an "automatic from beyond the arc" cheat in their next game for the Muskie senior.
9:26 - It's finally Brad Redford's game to shine. He's missed opportunities recently, going 0-8 in the previous three games. Tonight is a different story, as he is now 4-7 including a J.J. Reddick-esque trey off several staggered screens that brought the crowd to their feet and the Xavier bench running to congratulate after the ensuing timeout.
3:21 - The game has been well in hand for quite some time now. XU leads 74-59 at the moment. Three Musketeers are in double-digits, with Anderson and Brown at nine points. The performance has the feel of last season's balanced attack.
0:55 - The student section just orchestrated the first recurring fan wave this blogger has seen in four years at least. The lower and upper decks both threw their hands in the air at the right times, completing four successful rounds of the Cintas Center.
Final Score - Xavier 83, Temple 74. Check out www.GoXavier.com for the official recap of the game, statistics, and photos.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Xavier vs. UMass Saturday January 31, 2009
Welcome to this LIVE blog of the No. 10/10 Xavier University Musketeers match-up with the Massachusetts Minutemen.
First Half
19:36 - The Minutemen just left Terrell Holloway wide open for trey to open the game. If that perimeter defense continues the Musketeer fans will enjoy Brad Redford's minutes.
14:51 - Holloway's next deep ball bricked off to the opposite wing where B.J. Raymond casually let it fall into his shooting pocket for another 3-point attempt. It's good! Xavier stops a seven-point run by the Minutemen. Brad Redford has entered the game.
11:42 - The Minutemen forgot about Raymond, as he just hit another three ball in the corner on a skip pass from the opposite wing. The play was eerily reminiscent of the inbounds skip pass during overtime of the West Virginia NCAA Tournament game that Raymond used to send XU into the Elite Eight.
10:36 - UMass center Luke Bonner just caught Holloway's ankle on a loose ball scuffle. The freshman winced in pain but will remain in the game. He's limping slightly during dead balls but appears to be simply walking it off. Exhale Muskie fans.
9:56 - One of America's 15 Toughest Places to Play? EA Sports got it right, as the crowd went from near-silence while Holloway was on the deck to a standing roar after Derrick Brown sank a high-arcing three to give Xavier the lead 23-22.
7:05 - Brown is perfect from the field at 4-4 after hitting his second from deep (followed by a fist pump) and driving baseline with a left hand finish. The crowd is on their feet for X-A-V-IER. This may be the loudest Cintas Center has been all season.
3:25 - UMass' Luke Bonner just flopped (in the opinion of this blogger) to the result of Kenny Frease's second foul. The freshman, pairing with Jason Love, needs to keep his count under five to help combat the 7'1" Minutemen senior.
2:52 - Brown is in the zone today. He just took his man off the dribble baseline, took off from OUTSIDE the paint and landed the ball in the hoop with a slam and a whistle. The junior completed the and-one for a 10-point Xavier lead.
Halftime: XU goes into the break with a 44-37 lead. We'll see if UMass' Chris Lowe realizes the tag is still on his undershirt during halftime.
Second Half
17:51 - The Musketeers have started out the half a bit sluggish. Tony Gaffney stole a Holloway pass and slammed it on the fast break. The fans demanded a technical as Gaffney hung on the rim a bit longer than necessary.
17:12 - Here we go: Brown just drained his third three pointer on three attempts. This is exactly what the fans had been waiting for. UMass anwered with a Ricky Harris airball, resulting in his stumbling return to the bench.
15:31 - A series of Muskie turnovers and UMass offensive rebounds left the fans screaming for some control and an answer, which Brown provided. His offensive rebound off Dante Jackson's missed three-pointer resulted in a putback and whiste for the and-one attempt. The lead is now 53-46 before the free throw. Oh, and Chris Lowe still has the tag on, clearly visible.
13:33 - ANY Muskie fireworks on the floor will make for bedlam in the stands, but turnovers and missed shots are making XU do it without flash. The lead is 56-48.
8:26 - UMass freshman David Gibbs just sank a three-pointer to give the Minutemen the lead, 65-64, with 8:23 left. Xavier continues to turn the ball over, but C.J. Anderson has been the Xavier life preserver. He backed down the 7'1" UMass center and layed it in, a feat few forwards five inches shorted and 20 pounds lighter could accomplish. The senior has put his team on his back.
6:56 - Kenny Frease is 4-7 with 8 points and 3 rebounds, but his presence is clear outside the stat sheet. His physical play earned him a standing ovation when he returned to the bench. It seems that Sean Miller wants more of that energy in the game, as the freshman barely contacted the chair when his name was called again.
3:56 - The Xavier lead is one, 71-70. The atmosphere could be described as nervous electricity. Just one big three-pointer or fast-break layup and I don't see the fans letting UMass get any closer, let alone the Muskies.
3:14 - Nearly every one of the 10,250 fans were silent for Jason Love's free throws. He made both; the Xavier lead is 73-70.
0:59 - The game is back and forth in the final minutes. Raymond just sank another 3-pointer followed by a defensive stop and a C.J. Anderson lay-in over Bonner. The Muskie lead is 1 with 40 seconds left.
0:15 - Ricky Harris missed a three-pointer that would have given the Minutemen the lead with little time remaining. Raymond grabbed yet another emphatic rebound and made his free throws after the ensuing foul.
0:11 - Dante Jackson fouled the Harris before he could loft up a long-distance three that would have tied the game. It's a game of free throws now. The fans are hoping the free throw club will pay off here.
0:04 - The free throw club is paying off; the Musketeers are making their free throws down the stretch to keep the Minutemen at bay.
Final - Xavier wins 82-80. By far the most electric game this season at Cintas Center. Come out and watch your 19-2 Musketeers take on the Temple Owls next Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
First Half
19:36 - The Minutemen just left Terrell Holloway wide open for trey to open the game. If that perimeter defense continues the Musketeer fans will enjoy Brad Redford's minutes.
14:51 - Holloway's next deep ball bricked off to the opposite wing where B.J. Raymond casually let it fall into his shooting pocket for another 3-point attempt. It's good! Xavier stops a seven-point run by the Minutemen. Brad Redford has entered the game.
11:42 - The Minutemen forgot about Raymond, as he just hit another three ball in the corner on a skip pass from the opposite wing. The play was eerily reminiscent of the inbounds skip pass during overtime of the West Virginia NCAA Tournament game that Raymond used to send XU into the Elite Eight.
10:36 - UMass center Luke Bonner just caught Holloway's ankle on a loose ball scuffle. The freshman winced in pain but will remain in the game. He's limping slightly during dead balls but appears to be simply walking it off. Exhale Muskie fans.
9:56 - One of America's 15 Toughest Places to Play? EA Sports got it right, as the crowd went from near-silence while Holloway was on the deck to a standing roar after Derrick Brown sank a high-arcing three to give Xavier the lead 23-22.
7:05 - Brown is perfect from the field at 4-4 after hitting his second from deep (followed by a fist pump) and driving baseline with a left hand finish. The crowd is on their feet for X-A-V-IER. This may be the loudest Cintas Center has been all season.
3:25 - UMass' Luke Bonner just flopped (in the opinion of this blogger) to the result of Kenny Frease's second foul. The freshman, pairing with Jason Love, needs to keep his count under five to help combat the 7'1" Minutemen senior.
2:52 - Brown is in the zone today. He just took his man off the dribble baseline, took off from OUTSIDE the paint and landed the ball in the hoop with a slam and a whistle. The junior completed the and-one for a 10-point Xavier lead.
Halftime: XU goes into the break with a 44-37 lead. We'll see if UMass' Chris Lowe realizes the tag is still on his undershirt during halftime.
Second Half
17:51 - The Musketeers have started out the half a bit sluggish. Tony Gaffney stole a Holloway pass and slammed it on the fast break. The fans demanded a technical as Gaffney hung on the rim a bit longer than necessary.
17:12 - Here we go: Brown just drained his third three pointer on three attempts. This is exactly what the fans had been waiting for. UMass anwered with a Ricky Harris airball, resulting in his stumbling return to the bench.
15:31 - A series of Muskie turnovers and UMass offensive rebounds left the fans screaming for some control and an answer, which Brown provided. His offensive rebound off Dante Jackson's missed three-pointer resulted in a putback and whiste for the and-one attempt. The lead is now 53-46 before the free throw. Oh, and Chris Lowe still has the tag on, clearly visible.
13:33 - ANY Muskie fireworks on the floor will make for bedlam in the stands, but turnovers and missed shots are making XU do it without flash. The lead is 56-48.
8:26 - UMass freshman David Gibbs just sank a three-pointer to give the Minutemen the lead, 65-64, with 8:23 left. Xavier continues to turn the ball over, but C.J. Anderson has been the Xavier life preserver. He backed down the 7'1" UMass center and layed it in, a feat few forwards five inches shorted and 20 pounds lighter could accomplish. The senior has put his team on his back.
6:56 - Kenny Frease is 4-7 with 8 points and 3 rebounds, but his presence is clear outside the stat sheet. His physical play earned him a standing ovation when he returned to the bench. It seems that Sean Miller wants more of that energy in the game, as the freshman barely contacted the chair when his name was called again.
3:56 - The Xavier lead is one, 71-70. The atmosphere could be described as nervous electricity. Just one big three-pointer or fast-break layup and I don't see the fans letting UMass get any closer, let alone the Muskies.
3:14 - Nearly every one of the 10,250 fans were silent for Jason Love's free throws. He made both; the Xavier lead is 73-70.
0:59 - The game is back and forth in the final minutes. Raymond just sank another 3-pointer followed by a defensive stop and a C.J. Anderson lay-in over Bonner. The Muskie lead is 1 with 40 seconds left.
0:15 - Ricky Harris missed a three-pointer that would have given the Minutemen the lead with little time remaining. Raymond grabbed yet another emphatic rebound and made his free throws after the ensuing foul.
0:11 - Dante Jackson fouled the Harris before he could loft up a long-distance three that would have tied the game. It's a game of free throws now. The fans are hoping the free throw club will pay off here.
0:04 - The free throw club is paying off; the Musketeers are making their free throws down the stretch to keep the Minutemen at bay.
Final - Xavier wins 82-80. By far the most electric game this season at Cintas Center. Come out and watch your 19-2 Musketeers take on the Temple Owls next Thursday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Xavier vs. Charlotte January 28, 2009
There are a lot of people tonight. I was not expecting this many people to show up considering the weather. The fans are pumped up, can't wait for this game!
First Half
18:43: After a poor pass that ended up in a turnover #15 Lamont Mack got really angry with his teammate #2 Charlie Coley. #3 DiJuan Harris stepped in to calm down his teammates. BJ Raymond's three pointer got the crowd up to a thunderous applause.
16:00: The Charlotte bench looked dejected going scoreless for the first four minutes until Lamont Mack's layup.
12:55: The whole Charlotte bench stood up as Kenny Frease tossed the ball away. The Xavier student section is exceptionally loud tonight, they are trying to give the Muskies as much energy as they can.
8:26: What an odd series of events. The Muskies had the ball, turned it over and then the stole the ball back from Charlotte on a fast break. Defense seems to be the theme of the game.
10:48: The 49ers seem to be a little off, Coley almost lost the ball again! The Muskies need to take advantage with a big play to get the crowd back into the game.
7:01: Even though they are on the bench right now, Derrick Brown and Jamel McClean are trying to cheer on their teammates. The bench cannot take their eyes off of the ball.
5:08: This is turning into a bit of a physical game. Derrick Brown ran into Charlie Coley and the refs let them play on.
3:33: Kenny Frease's dunk got all his teammates jumping off the bench and the student section really energized.
1:00: Terrell Holloway just made a jumper that barely beat the 35-second buzzer!
Second Half
17:34: Balloons were just distributed to the student section. They are trying their best to distract the Charlotte players.
16:23: BJ Raymond got the crowd excited going into the media timeout by making a 3-pointer. The Xavier chant (X-A-V-IER) was really loud. After going after a loose ball, Derrick Brown got up grimacing. The trainer is looking at him right now, he seems to be ok.
10:36: #11 Ian Andersen and BJ Raymond got a little physical in the post resulting in a foul called on Andersen.
9:42: Anymore points for Kenny Frease and he has a new career high in points. I think the crowd can sense this because everytime he touches the ball they yell "Shoot!".
8:52: Kenny just got his career high in points on a dunk! Charlotte called a timeout and all the Muskies rushed over to Kenny to congratulate him.
7:39: What a couple of plays! First, BJ Raymond managed to strip the ball away from a 49er and pass it to Terrell Holloway. Terrell then took it home with a great crossover and a layup! That was the perfect play to get the fans excited going into the ball toss!
5:59: The out-of-town score board just showed the score of the Duke vs. Wake Forest game. When the fans saw that Duke lost (68-70), they errupted in applause. I guess they saw it as some type of payback.
3:20: Almost two identical plays happened back to back. Dante Jackson turned to ball over and Charlie Coley dunked on a fast break. Terrell Holloway is set to come back in.
1:15: The student section is going crazy as Joe Hughes, Andrew Taylor and Stephen Duckett get to see some playing time.
Well that's the game......Xavier 69 Charlotte 47.
Thanks for reading! The Muskies are back in action this Saturday against UMass here at Cintas!
First Half
18:43: After a poor pass that ended up in a turnover #15 Lamont Mack got really angry with his teammate #2 Charlie Coley. #3 DiJuan Harris stepped in to calm down his teammates. BJ Raymond's three pointer got the crowd up to a thunderous applause.
16:00: The Charlotte bench looked dejected going scoreless for the first four minutes until Lamont Mack's layup.
12:55: The whole Charlotte bench stood up as Kenny Frease tossed the ball away. The Xavier student section is exceptionally loud tonight, they are trying to give the Muskies as much energy as they can.
8:26: What an odd series of events. The Muskies had the ball, turned it over and then the stole the ball back from Charlotte on a fast break. Defense seems to be the theme of the game.
10:48: The 49ers seem to be a little off, Coley almost lost the ball again! The Muskies need to take advantage with a big play to get the crowd back into the game.
7:01: Even though they are on the bench right now, Derrick Brown and Jamel McClean are trying to cheer on their teammates. The bench cannot take their eyes off of the ball.
5:08: This is turning into a bit of a physical game. Derrick Brown ran into Charlie Coley and the refs let them play on.
3:33: Kenny Frease's dunk got all his teammates jumping off the bench and the student section really energized.
1:00: Terrell Holloway just made a jumper that barely beat the 35-second buzzer!
Second Half
17:34: Balloons were just distributed to the student section. They are trying their best to distract the Charlotte players.
16:23: BJ Raymond got the crowd excited going into the media timeout by making a 3-pointer. The Xavier chant (X-A-V-IER) was really loud. After going after a loose ball, Derrick Brown got up grimacing. The trainer is looking at him right now, he seems to be ok.
10:36: #11 Ian Andersen and BJ Raymond got a little physical in the post resulting in a foul called on Andersen.
9:42: Anymore points for Kenny Frease and he has a new career high in points. I think the crowd can sense this because everytime he touches the ball they yell "Shoot!".
8:52: Kenny just got his career high in points on a dunk! Charlotte called a timeout and all the Muskies rushed over to Kenny to congratulate him.
7:39: What a couple of plays! First, BJ Raymond managed to strip the ball away from a 49er and pass it to Terrell Holloway. Terrell then took it home with a great crossover and a layup! That was the perfect play to get the fans excited going into the ball toss!
5:59: The out-of-town score board just showed the score of the Duke vs. Wake Forest game. When the fans saw that Duke lost (68-70), they errupted in applause. I guess they saw it as some type of payback.
3:20: Almost two identical plays happened back to back. Dante Jackson turned to ball over and Charlie Coley dunked on a fast break. Terrell Holloway is set to come back in.
1:15: The student section is going crazy as Joe Hughes, Andrew Taylor and Stephen Duckett get to see some playing time.
Well that's the game......Xavier 69 Charlotte 47.
Thanks for reading! The Muskies are back in action this Saturday against UMass here at Cintas!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Xavier vs. LSU Live Blog
UPDATE 10:04 - With Brown at the line, 30 seconds to play, Xu has built a 10-point lead. Tremendous second half by Xavier leads to the 12th non-conference win of the season. Tune in next time on the X-Blog!
UPDATE 10:00 - Clutch. Raymond just hit both and it's a seven-point game and the clock is working against the Tigers. And now Raymond will be going to the line again to pad the lead. The LSU fans don't seem to believe their team can pull it off as the file out of the arena like there was a bomb scare. The student section doesn't appreciate that too much, from the sound of their cheers.
UPDATE 9:57 - The free throw club is paying off, after all. Anderson just stepped to the line and calmly hit two free throws, making the Tigers pay for intentionally fouling him when they still had the one-in-one advantage. The lead is back to seven, 72-65, for the Muskies.
UPDATE 9:53 - B.J. Raymond has picked up where Brown left off. In the last two Musketeer possessions, Raymond has taken the ball agressively to the basket, drawing the foul the first time and converting a layup the second. He now has 15 points and is showing the leadership Miller has raved about throughout the season. It's a seven-point game, 70-63, with 1:38 to play, and XU will need Raymond, Anderson and Brown to continue to be the heart and soul of the team.
UPDATE 9:46 - The horn has sounded the final media timeout and the Musketeers are holding a nine-point advantage, 66-57. So far this half, XU has stiffled the Tigers' offense, giving up just 20 points in the last 16 and a half minutes. The home team has made just six of their 24 field goal attempts in the half. For the game, Xavier holds a 36-27 advantage on the glass, exploiting their advantage in the post, both in size and depth.
UPDATE 9:41 - Despite his success scoring tonight, Brown made what could prove to be his best play of the game. Driving to the lane, he spotted Holloway open on the opposite wing and elected to pass rather than force the shot. Holloway rewarded him by rattling home a three ball.
UPDATE 9:36 - Brown has scored 20 points in tonight's game, the fourth time this season he has tallied 20 or more. His career high prior to this seasn was 19, but stands at 23 after he helped the Musketeers defeat Miami-Ohio 60-53 earlier this season.
UPDATE 9:24 - Love just reached the double-digit point plateau, making it the sixth time in the last eight games he's had 10 or more points. The junior, who coach Miller calls the best defensive player on the team, has really come into his own on offense this season. And his performance tonight has helped the Musketeers to a 26-18 advantage in points in the paint.
UPDATE 9:17 - Not sure if the television broadcast has mentioned it yet, but Xavier graduate James Posey has turned out for the game tonight, brining along New Orleans Hornets teammate Chris Paul for the festivities. These two teams haven't disappointed, turning in a great game thus far.
UPDATE 9:10 - Brown has put the Musketeers on his back here in the second half, scoring the teams first few points before that lay in by Frease. A couple three pointers and a few offensive rebounds later, XU has the lead back at 46-45.
UPDATE 9:05 - When LSU knocks, Derrick Brown is answering. Marcus Thorton gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game with a three-pointer on the first posession of the second half to make it 40-36, but Brown hit a three at the other end to pull XU within one. It's the third time in the game Brown has followed a big bucket by LSU with a make of his own.
UPDATE 8:49 - After one well-played half of basketball, LSU holds a slim 37-36 lead at the break. While the Tigers' team has played good basketball over the first 20 minutes, some credit has to be given to the faithful fans in attendance, who treated every possession like the game was on the line. That type of enthusiasm allowed the team to keep its energy up, even when the Musketeers looked like they might pull away. Thirteen minutes until the second half!
UPDATE 8:43 - Already lacking size, the Tigers' Johnson just picked up his third foul after an offensive rebound by Brown. With Mitchell already on the bench with a pair, Johnson will also have to take a seat. That will bring in freshman Storm Warren for LSU. Coach Miller is countering with a freshman of his own in Frease, who has been tremendous to this point.
UPDATE 8:38 - We are seeing the Frease the Musketeers fans envisioned when they heard the first 7-footer in Xavier history was coming to campus. He has scored every time he's touched the ball in the post, using his weight advantage over Johnson to make space in the paint. Impressive performance thus far for the freshman, with eight points.
UPDATE 8:35 - The game is being called very phsyical, but Brown just took advantage of that. He drew Mitchell's second foul by standing in for a charge. Savvy move for the veteran.
UPDATE 8:31 - Kenny Frease is doing a tremendous job of using his size in the post on offense. He has scored on both his chances thus far, getting his defender up in the air before laying it calmly in. But after a Tigers' basket on the other end, it's a tie game, 26-26. A turnover by XU brought a media timeout, calming the LSU crowd...for the moment. For those of you watching at home...was the goaltending as obvious on tv as it was from my spot on press row? Ouch.
UPDATE 8:28 - After a basket by Mitchell tied the game and got the crowd in a frenzy, Brown absolutely silenced the crowd with a three from the wing. It's an interesting matchup for Brown, who is being guarded by the 6-11 Chris Johnson.
UPDATE 8:26 - The crowd here is erupting after EACH made basket by the Tigers like it was the game-winner. And after Marcus Thornton just hit a trey to pull LSU within two, 20-18, that basket forced head coach Miller to call a timeout. He used the break to bring Holloway back, so we'll get a chance to see how the freshman plays with foul trouble.
UPDATE 8:22 - Love is 2-for-2 in one-on-one battles with Mitchell, showing nice touch on a baby hook in the lane.
UPDATE 8:20 - Anderson was called for a carry, the second time a Musketeer was called for the palming violation. Looking to the bench after the call, Anderson met a calm reaction from head coach Sean Miller who knows his players will adjust.
UPDATE 8:17 - Terrell Holloway just picked up his second foul with 14:04 remaining in the first half, hitting Bo Spencer on the arm as he hit a three-pointer. Spencer not only converted the four-point play, but Holloway will have to stay on the bench with two fouls already. On the other end, with the Tigers playing zone, Jackson and Brown converted a pretty alley-oop to make it 16-10.
UPDATE 8:14 - It may not have been obvious on television, but C.J. Anderson just completed a very unorthodox self alley-oop. After tracking down a rebound, Anderson drove the lane and put up a floater. When he saw it was going wide left, he got back off the floor and put it off the glass and in before the ball even got lower than the net, putting XU in front 14-6.
UPDATE 8:12 - We have the game's first timeout, called by LSU head coach Trent Johnson after B.J. Raymond just nailed a three-pointer from the wing. XU was lucky when a loose ball bounced in their favor after Kenny Frease made a great play to get a steal, but capitalizing is what matters.
UPDATE 8:11 - After Jason Love just hit that turnaround jumper, you have to believe the Musketeers are going to try and make a concerted effort to work the post on offense. Tasmin Mitchell is a dynamic forward for the Tigers, but a bit undersized at 6-7 to be guarding Love.
UPDATE 8:08 - Over two minutes into the game, the score is tied at 2-2, as both teams have been forced to take contested shots. Including the and-one Derrick Brown just made. There are going to be very few easy buckets tonight.
UPDATE 8:04 - A sea of purple and gold has nearly filled the Maravich Center. It's hard not to get excited about tonight's game, because this atmosphere is electric. I am sure the game is going to look great on ESPN2, but on the small chance it can't quite capture the enthusiasm, trust me, it's here.
UPDATE 7:55 - Word from the Xavier ticket representative that made the trip down to Baton Rouge is that LSU is expecting its first sell out in a few years. If it isn't quite a sellout yet, it's got to be very close. Fans are filing in and the student section seems amped up in anticipation of tonight's showdown. Introductions are only a few minutes away, followed closely by the opening tip. Stay tuned!
UPDATE 7:17 - Putting Atlantic 10 action on hold for the weekend, Xavier is here in Baton Rouge for a non-conference showdown with Louisiana State (LSU) at the Maravich Center. Along with the arena's namesake (Pete Maravich), Shaquille O'Neal and Bob Pettit also have their retired numbers hanging in the rafters. So it is far to say this campus has seen its fair share of great basketball. Tonight is sure to follow that tradition, with a game that many "experts" are saying should be closely contests. Tune into ESPN2 to follow the action live, but be sure to keep refreshing the "X-Blog" for information on the game the cameras may not catch!
UPDATE 10:00 - Clutch. Raymond just hit both and it's a seven-point game and the clock is working against the Tigers. And now Raymond will be going to the line again to pad the lead. The LSU fans don't seem to believe their team can pull it off as the file out of the arena like there was a bomb scare. The student section doesn't appreciate that too much, from the sound of their cheers.
UPDATE 9:57 - The free throw club is paying off, after all. Anderson just stepped to the line and calmly hit two free throws, making the Tigers pay for intentionally fouling him when they still had the one-in-one advantage. The lead is back to seven, 72-65, for the Muskies.
UPDATE 9:53 - B.J. Raymond has picked up where Brown left off. In the last two Musketeer possessions, Raymond has taken the ball agressively to the basket, drawing the foul the first time and converting a layup the second. He now has 15 points and is showing the leadership Miller has raved about throughout the season. It's a seven-point game, 70-63, with 1:38 to play, and XU will need Raymond, Anderson and Brown to continue to be the heart and soul of the team.
UPDATE 9:46 - The horn has sounded the final media timeout and the Musketeers are holding a nine-point advantage, 66-57. So far this half, XU has stiffled the Tigers' offense, giving up just 20 points in the last 16 and a half minutes. The home team has made just six of their 24 field goal attempts in the half. For the game, Xavier holds a 36-27 advantage on the glass, exploiting their advantage in the post, both in size and depth.
UPDATE 9:41 - Despite his success scoring tonight, Brown made what could prove to be his best play of the game. Driving to the lane, he spotted Holloway open on the opposite wing and elected to pass rather than force the shot. Holloway rewarded him by rattling home a three ball.
UPDATE 9:36 - Brown has scored 20 points in tonight's game, the fourth time this season he has tallied 20 or more. His career high prior to this seasn was 19, but stands at 23 after he helped the Musketeers defeat Miami-Ohio 60-53 earlier this season.
UPDATE 9:24 - Love just reached the double-digit point plateau, making it the sixth time in the last eight games he's had 10 or more points. The junior, who coach Miller calls the best defensive player on the team, has really come into his own on offense this season. And his performance tonight has helped the Musketeers to a 26-18 advantage in points in the paint.
UPDATE 9:17 - Not sure if the television broadcast has mentioned it yet, but Xavier graduate James Posey has turned out for the game tonight, brining along New Orleans Hornets teammate Chris Paul for the festivities. These two teams haven't disappointed, turning in a great game thus far.
UPDATE 9:10 - Brown has put the Musketeers on his back here in the second half, scoring the teams first few points before that lay in by Frease. A couple three pointers and a few offensive rebounds later, XU has the lead back at 46-45.
UPDATE 9:05 - When LSU knocks, Derrick Brown is answering. Marcus Thorton gave the Tigers their largest lead of the game with a three-pointer on the first posession of the second half to make it 40-36, but Brown hit a three at the other end to pull XU within one. It's the third time in the game Brown has followed a big bucket by LSU with a make of his own.
UPDATE 8:49 - After one well-played half of basketball, LSU holds a slim 37-36 lead at the break. While the Tigers' team has played good basketball over the first 20 minutes, some credit has to be given to the faithful fans in attendance, who treated every possession like the game was on the line. That type of enthusiasm allowed the team to keep its energy up, even when the Musketeers looked like they might pull away. Thirteen minutes until the second half!
UPDATE 8:43 - Already lacking size, the Tigers' Johnson just picked up his third foul after an offensive rebound by Brown. With Mitchell already on the bench with a pair, Johnson will also have to take a seat. That will bring in freshman Storm Warren for LSU. Coach Miller is countering with a freshman of his own in Frease, who has been tremendous to this point.
UPDATE 8:38 - We are seeing the Frease the Musketeers fans envisioned when they heard the first 7-footer in Xavier history was coming to campus. He has scored every time he's touched the ball in the post, using his weight advantage over Johnson to make space in the paint. Impressive performance thus far for the freshman, with eight points.
UPDATE 8:35 - The game is being called very phsyical, but Brown just took advantage of that. He drew Mitchell's second foul by standing in for a charge. Savvy move for the veteran.
UPDATE 8:31 - Kenny Frease is doing a tremendous job of using his size in the post on offense. He has scored on both his chances thus far, getting his defender up in the air before laying it calmly in. But after a Tigers' basket on the other end, it's a tie game, 26-26. A turnover by XU brought a media timeout, calming the LSU crowd...for the moment. For those of you watching at home...was the goaltending as obvious on tv as it was from my spot on press row? Ouch.
UPDATE 8:28 - After a basket by Mitchell tied the game and got the crowd in a frenzy, Brown absolutely silenced the crowd with a three from the wing. It's an interesting matchup for Brown, who is being guarded by the 6-11 Chris Johnson.
UPDATE 8:26 - The crowd here is erupting after EACH made basket by the Tigers like it was the game-winner. And after Marcus Thornton just hit a trey to pull LSU within two, 20-18, that basket forced head coach Miller to call a timeout. He used the break to bring Holloway back, so we'll get a chance to see how the freshman plays with foul trouble.
UPDATE 8:22 - Love is 2-for-2 in one-on-one battles with Mitchell, showing nice touch on a baby hook in the lane.
UPDATE 8:20 - Anderson was called for a carry, the second time a Musketeer was called for the palming violation. Looking to the bench after the call, Anderson met a calm reaction from head coach Sean Miller who knows his players will adjust.
UPDATE 8:17 - Terrell Holloway just picked up his second foul with 14:04 remaining in the first half, hitting Bo Spencer on the arm as he hit a three-pointer. Spencer not only converted the four-point play, but Holloway will have to stay on the bench with two fouls already. On the other end, with the Tigers playing zone, Jackson and Brown converted a pretty alley-oop to make it 16-10.
UPDATE 8:14 - It may not have been obvious on television, but C.J. Anderson just completed a very unorthodox self alley-oop. After tracking down a rebound, Anderson drove the lane and put up a floater. When he saw it was going wide left, he got back off the floor and put it off the glass and in before the ball even got lower than the net, putting XU in front 14-6.
UPDATE 8:12 - We have the game's first timeout, called by LSU head coach Trent Johnson after B.J. Raymond just nailed a three-pointer from the wing. XU was lucky when a loose ball bounced in their favor after Kenny Frease made a great play to get a steal, but capitalizing is what matters.
UPDATE 8:11 - After Jason Love just hit that turnaround jumper, you have to believe the Musketeers are going to try and make a concerted effort to work the post on offense. Tasmin Mitchell is a dynamic forward for the Tigers, but a bit undersized at 6-7 to be guarding Love.
UPDATE 8:08 - Over two minutes into the game, the score is tied at 2-2, as both teams have been forced to take contested shots. Including the and-one Derrick Brown just made. There are going to be very few easy buckets tonight.
UPDATE 8:04 - A sea of purple and gold has nearly filled the Maravich Center. It's hard not to get excited about tonight's game, because this atmosphere is electric. I am sure the game is going to look great on ESPN2, but on the small chance it can't quite capture the enthusiasm, trust me, it's here.
UPDATE 7:55 - Word from the Xavier ticket representative that made the trip down to Baton Rouge is that LSU is expecting its first sell out in a few years. If it isn't quite a sellout yet, it's got to be very close. Fans are filing in and the student section seems amped up in anticipation of tonight's showdown. Introductions are only a few minutes away, followed closely by the opening tip. Stay tuned!
UPDATE 7:17 - Putting Atlantic 10 action on hold for the weekend, Xavier is here in Baton Rouge for a non-conference showdown with Louisiana State (LSU) at the Maravich Center. Along with the arena's namesake (Pete Maravich), Shaquille O'Neal and Bob Pettit also have their retired numbers hanging in the rafters. So it is far to say this campus has seen its fair share of great basketball. Tonight is sure to follow that tradition, with a game that many "experts" are saying should be closely contests. Tune into ESPN2 to follow the action live, but be sure to keep refreshing the "X-Blog" for information on the game the cameras may not catch!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Xavier vs. St. Bonaventure Live Blog
UPDATE 8:48 - With the last media timeout in the books, Xavier is lead 77-48. The only question that remains is whether the Musketeers will set their season-high for points scored. Thanks for tuning in to another edition of the X-Blog!
UPDATE 8:40 - With under eight minutes to play in regulation, XU is comfortably out in front, 68-40. This should give those of you watching at home a chance to get an extended look at players like Kenny Frease, Andrew Taylor and even Redford.
UPDATE 8:27 - Brown just unloaded on a dunk after getting a steal. Even the home fans had to appreciate the hang time and authority of that slam. At the 11:46 mark, the Musketeers are holding steady with a 56-32 lead.
UPDATE 8:17 - At the first media timeout of the second half, the Musketeers are up by 22, 51-29. The Bonnies stormed out of the gate again after the intermission, getting a couple of easy baskets off turnovers, but the Musketeers have settled into their groove once again and appear to withstood th punches of the SBU attack.
UPDATE 7:52 - After calling a timeout to set up the final play of the half, Holloway hit a three-pointer off the dribble to give the Musketeers a 41-22 lead at halftime. XU is leading in nearly every statistical category: Feild goal percentage (51.7 to 30.8), rebounds (21 to 13), and three-point field goal percentage (75 to 20) to name a few. After a slow start, the Musketeers outscored the Bonnies 32-11 over the final 11:54. More after the halftime break!
UPDATE 7:46 - The Muskies have built a 14-point lead, thanks to a 15-6 run, followed by 11 straight points by XU. SBU freshman Michael Davenport broke the streak, although it may have needed a bit of luck. His jumper in the lane kissed off the window and in, but I am not sure he called glass.
UPDATE 7:42 - In the last media timeout of the half, Xavier holds an nine-point advantage, 29-20, thanks in large part to the efforts of Anderson and Redford, who each have nine points. And, while he only has two points, Brown is cleaning the glass, pulling down five of the team's 17 boards thus far.
UPDATE 7:40 - Freshman Brad Redford is showing no ill effects from the split lip he suffered at yesterday's practice. He is 3-of-3 from behind the arc and is tied for the team lead with nine points. His last trey, he caught the ball while nearly falling out of bounds and still got his shot off with the same perfect arc. I can't imagine there are many shooters better than him in the country.
UPDATE 7:30 - Sorry for the delay! Apparently the service that runs our blog was doing maintenance for a few minutes just now. But we are back and the Musketeers have taken the lead, 21-15, with 7:33 to play in the first half. Some SBU fans behind me are discussing what we Xavier fans know as "four-minute wars" or the segments between each media timeout. After SBU won the first one (8-6) and the two teams split the second (3-3), Xavier won the last "war" 12-4 to take the six-point lead.
UPDATE 7:11 - At the first media timeout, SBU has ridden the jump shot of freshman Andrew Nicholson to a 8-6 advantage. Nicholson has earned Rookie of the Week honors in the A-10 four times already, and Miller said he is "probably the Rookie of the Year in the conference" in his interview this morning. While he could certainly add a few pounds of muscles, having a jump shot like his at 6-9 is a tremendous asset.
UPDATE 7:09 - SBU's starting PG, Malcolm Elby just picked up his second foul, hacking freshman Terrell Holloway as he broke their 3/4 court trap. While he isnt one of the Bonnies top scorers, he is their starting PG, and the back up is hurt. We will see if that hurts the Bonnies in their half court set.
UPDATE 7:07 - After getting a shot blocked, Anderson responded with a dunk off the inbounds play to get Xavier on the board to open the game. Through three posessions, the Muskies already have two offensive boards.
UPDATE 7:00 - To call this crowd hostile would be an understatement. They are certainly into tonight's game, and we aren't even past the introductios. The "Wolf Pack" even cheered the national anthem singer with hefty enthusiasm. Since the Musketeers have taken the court for final warmups, the students have also been showering them with less than favorable chants...eliciting smiles and nods from the Musketeer players. Needless to say, motivation for tonight's game will not be hard to come by for either side.
UPDATE 6:40 - The Reilly Center is a classic "appearances can be deceiving" situation. While the look of it is hardly impressive, the fans are pouring and already rowdy. The "Wolf Pack" (the SBU student section) is out in full force and look ready to make their mark on tonight's contest. Xavier head coach Sean Miller said something interesting during this morning's shootaround (you can see the full interview at GoXavier.com), however, stating his hope that the game is decided by the two teams on the floor and not the crowd. He pointed out the Musketeers' experience with adverse situations and also seems very comfortable with the leadership of C.J. Anderon, B.J. Anderson and Derrick Brown.
UPDATE 5:51 - Another edition of the X-Blog coming your way, this time from the Reilly Center at St. Bonaventure University here in Olean, N.Y. The Musketeers are still undefeated in Atlantic 10 play while the Bonnies come in at 2-2 in the league. With tip-off just over an hour away, be sure to check back when the game starts to follow along with the X-Blog. Even if you are watching from home, the X-Blog provides another set of eyes to catch some things the camera might miss!
UPDATE 8:40 - With under eight minutes to play in regulation, XU is comfortably out in front, 68-40. This should give those of you watching at home a chance to get an extended look at players like Kenny Frease, Andrew Taylor and even Redford.
UPDATE 8:27 - Brown just unloaded on a dunk after getting a steal. Even the home fans had to appreciate the hang time and authority of that slam. At the 11:46 mark, the Musketeers are holding steady with a 56-32 lead.
UPDATE 8:17 - At the first media timeout of the second half, the Musketeers are up by 22, 51-29. The Bonnies stormed out of the gate again after the intermission, getting a couple of easy baskets off turnovers, but the Musketeers have settled into their groove once again and appear to withstood th punches of the SBU attack.
UPDATE 7:52 - After calling a timeout to set up the final play of the half, Holloway hit a three-pointer off the dribble to give the Musketeers a 41-22 lead at halftime. XU is leading in nearly every statistical category: Feild goal percentage (51.7 to 30.8), rebounds (21 to 13), and three-point field goal percentage (75 to 20) to name a few. After a slow start, the Musketeers outscored the Bonnies 32-11 over the final 11:54. More after the halftime break!
UPDATE 7:46 - The Muskies have built a 14-point lead, thanks to a 15-6 run, followed by 11 straight points by XU. SBU freshman Michael Davenport broke the streak, although it may have needed a bit of luck. His jumper in the lane kissed off the window and in, but I am not sure he called glass.
UPDATE 7:42 - In the last media timeout of the half, Xavier holds an nine-point advantage, 29-20, thanks in large part to the efforts of Anderson and Redford, who each have nine points. And, while he only has two points, Brown is cleaning the glass, pulling down five of the team's 17 boards thus far.
UPDATE 7:40 - Freshman Brad Redford is showing no ill effects from the split lip he suffered at yesterday's practice. He is 3-of-3 from behind the arc and is tied for the team lead with nine points. His last trey, he caught the ball while nearly falling out of bounds and still got his shot off with the same perfect arc. I can't imagine there are many shooters better than him in the country.
UPDATE 7:30 - Sorry for the delay! Apparently the service that runs our blog was doing maintenance for a few minutes just now. But we are back and the Musketeers have taken the lead, 21-15, with 7:33 to play in the first half. Some SBU fans behind me are discussing what we Xavier fans know as "four-minute wars" or the segments between each media timeout. After SBU won the first one (8-6) and the two teams split the second (3-3), Xavier won the last "war" 12-4 to take the six-point lead.
UPDATE 7:11 - At the first media timeout, SBU has ridden the jump shot of freshman Andrew Nicholson to a 8-6 advantage. Nicholson has earned Rookie of the Week honors in the A-10 four times already, and Miller said he is "probably the Rookie of the Year in the conference" in his interview this morning. While he could certainly add a few pounds of muscles, having a jump shot like his at 6-9 is a tremendous asset.
UPDATE 7:09 - SBU's starting PG, Malcolm Elby just picked up his second foul, hacking freshman Terrell Holloway as he broke their 3/4 court trap. While he isnt one of the Bonnies top scorers, he is their starting PG, and the back up is hurt. We will see if that hurts the Bonnies in their half court set.
UPDATE 7:07 - After getting a shot blocked, Anderson responded with a dunk off the inbounds play to get Xavier on the board to open the game. Through three posessions, the Muskies already have two offensive boards.
UPDATE 7:00 - To call this crowd hostile would be an understatement. They are certainly into tonight's game, and we aren't even past the introductios. The "Wolf Pack" even cheered the national anthem singer with hefty enthusiasm. Since the Musketeers have taken the court for final warmups, the students have also been showering them with less than favorable chants...eliciting smiles and nods from the Musketeer players. Needless to say, motivation for tonight's game will not be hard to come by for either side.
UPDATE 6:40 - The Reilly Center is a classic "appearances can be deceiving" situation. While the look of it is hardly impressive, the fans are pouring and already rowdy. The "Wolf Pack" (the SBU student section) is out in full force and look ready to make their mark on tonight's contest. Xavier head coach Sean Miller said something interesting during this morning's shootaround (you can see the full interview at GoXavier.com), however, stating his hope that the game is decided by the two teams on the floor and not the crowd. He pointed out the Musketeers' experience with adverse situations and also seems very comfortable with the leadership of C.J. Anderon, B.J. Anderson and Derrick Brown.
UPDATE 5:51 - Another edition of the X-Blog coming your way, this time from the Reilly Center at St. Bonaventure University here in Olean, N.Y. The Musketeers are still undefeated in Atlantic 10 play while the Bonnies come in at 2-2 in the league. With tip-off just over an hour away, be sure to check back when the game starts to follow along with the X-Blog. Even if you are watching from home, the X-Blog provides another set of eyes to catch some things the camera might miss!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Olean Update; Redford Needs Stitches
We are here in very cold Olean, N.Y., for tomorrow's game with St. Bonaventure. The team is shooting around tonight at the Reilly Center and will have another workout tomorrow.
Fans will notice a little difference in freshman Brad Redford when they watch the game Wednesday night. Redford caught an elbow in practice at Cintas Center today that cut his upper lip. The cut required stitches and was clearly quite painful. The good news is that, if the shoot around is any indication, it has not hurt his shooting touch.
Fans will notice a little difference in freshman Brad Redford when they watch the game Wednesday night. Redford caught an elbow in practice at Cintas Center today that cut his upper lip. The cut required stitches and was clearly quite painful. The good news is that, if the shoot around is any indication, it has not hurt his shooting touch.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Xavier vs La Salle January 18, 2009
Xavier vs. La Salle Live Blog
This is the first game for the student body after their long holiday break. There are a lot of energized students at today's game.
First Half
19:23 Great defensive play by the Muskies. The Explorers were forced into a 35 second violation.
17:10: Jason Love delivered a great behind the back pass to C.J. Anderson for an easy layup.
15:46: The McAlister's Deli trivia question was: Which former Xavier player was the first to become a NBA All-Star? Answer:Tyrone Hill during the 1994-5 season.
13:42: Brad Redford had a monster 3-pointer that really got the crowd into the game.
10:15: Kenny Frease exerted his dominance with a great dunk!
9:24: Terrell Holloway is getting into the mix also. He just got fouled while shooting a 3-pointer. He connected from the free throw line for a 4 point play!
8:04: Derrick Brown got the crowd on their feet going into the media timeout with a great layup from Dante Jackson.
4:08: B.J. Raymond connected from the arc to extend Xavier's lead to 15 points!
2:30: Derrick Brown had another great fastbreak layup off of a La Salle turnover.
57.0: The crowd is going nuts! Brad Redford hit another 3!
2.0: Dante scored the last point of the half with just 2 seconds left in regulation.
Second Half
19:18: B.J. Raymond got the second half off to a great start by sinking a 3-pointer.
17:09: The Muskies are playing really great defense today. It's a real team effort.
15:25: Another great 3-point bucket by B.J. Raymond.
13:35: The tempo is a little slower this half. There are a lot of fouls.
13:00: The mood just lifted as Brad Redford sank his third 3-pointer of the game!
12:12: Derrick Brown is back in his old form with a monster dunk!
8:32: Jamel McLean flew in the air to grab a rebound.
6:51: The crowd seems to be out of the game right now. Hopefully the Muskies can pull off a great play to energize them again.
5:04: La Salle player Vernon Goodridge just fouled out of the game.
4:34: Jason Love has made some really great plays today. So has Derrick Brown--his defense is on point.
3:18: La Salle's Jerrell Williams got a bit testy with Derrick Brown.
2:00: Jerrell Williams is still being a little too talkative, receiving his fourth personal foul.
1:45: And Jerrell Williams has fouled out. That's the second Explorer to foul out of today's game.
1:15: Jason Love is having a great game today! After Terrell Holloway missed his second free throw he got the rebound and then sent it home with a dunk!
34.0: Crowd favorite Joe Hughes made a basket that got the crowd to its feet.
Thats the game. Xavier 73 La Salle 53. See you at the next game!
This is the first game for the student body after their long holiday break. There are a lot of energized students at today's game.
First Half
19:23 Great defensive play by the Muskies. The Explorers were forced into a 35 second violation.
17:10: Jason Love delivered a great behind the back pass to C.J. Anderson for an easy layup.
15:46: The McAlister's Deli trivia question was: Which former Xavier player was the first to become a NBA All-Star? Answer:Tyrone Hill during the 1994-5 season.
13:42: Brad Redford had a monster 3-pointer that really got the crowd into the game.
10:15: Kenny Frease exerted his dominance with a great dunk!
9:24: Terrell Holloway is getting into the mix also. He just got fouled while shooting a 3-pointer. He connected from the free throw line for a 4 point play!
8:04: Derrick Brown got the crowd on their feet going into the media timeout with a great layup from Dante Jackson.
4:08: B.J. Raymond connected from the arc to extend Xavier's lead to 15 points!
2:30: Derrick Brown had another great fastbreak layup off of a La Salle turnover.
57.0: The crowd is going nuts! Brad Redford hit another 3!
2.0: Dante scored the last point of the half with just 2 seconds left in regulation.
Second Half
19:18: B.J. Raymond got the second half off to a great start by sinking a 3-pointer.
17:09: The Muskies are playing really great defense today. It's a real team effort.
15:25: Another great 3-point bucket by B.J. Raymond.
13:35: The tempo is a little slower this half. There are a lot of fouls.
13:00: The mood just lifted as Brad Redford sank his third 3-pointer of the game!
12:12: Derrick Brown is back in his old form with a monster dunk!
8:32: Jamel McLean flew in the air to grab a rebound.
6:51: The crowd seems to be out of the game right now. Hopefully the Muskies can pull off a great play to energize them again.
5:04: La Salle player Vernon Goodridge just fouled out of the game.
4:34: Jason Love has made some really great plays today. So has Derrick Brown--his defense is on point.
3:18: La Salle's Jerrell Williams got a bit testy with Derrick Brown.
2:00: Jerrell Williams is still being a little too talkative, receiving his fourth personal foul.
1:45: And Jerrell Williams has fouled out. That's the second Explorer to foul out of today's game.
1:15: Jason Love is having a great game today! After Terrell Holloway missed his second free throw he got the rebound and then sent it home with a dunk!
34.0: Crowd favorite Joe Hughes made a basket that got the crowd to its feet.
Thats the game. Xavier 73 La Salle 53. See you at the next game!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Xavier vs. Rhode Island Live Blog
UPDATE 10:08 - Holloway missed both free throws, but a half four shot by Jimmy Baron was wide left, securing a 67-65 victory for XU. The Musketeers improve to 14-2 on the season and 3-0 in Atlantic 10 play. Rhode Island falls to 11-6 overall and 0-2 in conference action.
UPDATE 10:06 - XU gets the ball in and Brown will step to the line with a chance to extend the advantage once again ... He hits both, giving Xavier a 67-63 lead, but URI scores off an offensive rebound with 5.5 to play. This game isn't over yet.
UPDATE 10:04 - Freshman? Maybe. Cool customer? Most definitely. With the game on the line and 31 seconds left to play, Holloway hit a pair of free throws to extend the XU lead to four, 65-61. URI scores on a layup on the other end with 16 seconds on the clock. Timeout Rams as they try to set up their defense.
UPDATE 10:00 - As the clock hits the 10 o'clock hour, the Musketeers are forced to call a timeout on the baseline. With 33 seconds on the shot clock and 49.3 seconds on the game clock, XU holds a two-point advantage.
UPDATE 9:58 - To a collective "oh" from the Rams faithful, sophomore Dante Jackson just hit a three in transition to give the Musketeers a 63-61 lead with under two minutes to play.
UPDATE 9:56 - Anderson has fouled out, fighting for an offensive rebound. He finishes with 11 points and six rebounds, after being held out of the stat sheet in the first half.
UPDATE 9:52 - Jimmy Baron has put the Rams on his back. He hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 59-59, and then turned a Musketeer turnover into a long-range jumper to give URI the lead. As the horn sounds for the final media timeout, Frease will go to the line, drawing a foul after grabbing a critical offensive rebound. 61-59 in favor of the Rams with 3:12 to play.
UPDATE 9:43 - Head URI coach Jim Baron was just assessed a technical for arguing a call. Redford stepped to the line and hit both free throw amid a chorus of boos to put the Musketeers in front, 57-56. Anderson extended the advantage to three with a pair of free throws, earned on the foul Baron argued.
UPDATE 9:36 - A true testament to hard work paying off, Love just hit a pair of free throws to give the lead back to XU. After shooting 60 percent from the charity stripe last season, Love entered the game hitting over 75 percent of his foul shots this season. He's 4-for-4 from the free throw line tonight.
UPDATE 9:34 - With the Rams threatening to take control of the game, coach Miller has brought Anderson off the bench with 8:58 to play despite having four fouls. Another three-pointer by James put URI up 54-50, but freshman Brad Redford answered with a trey of his own. He had missed his last four attempts from long range.
UPDATE 9:30 - After a scoreless three minutes, Rhode Island has pushed the tempo up a notch and taken a 50-48 lead after a three-pointer by Delroy James. Coach Miller was forced to call a timeout and quiet the Rhode Island faithful that was brought to its feet by the three from the corner.
UPDATE 9:28 - Anderson just picked up his fourth foul. The Musketeers will need another catalyst after a pair of URI free throws have made it a one-point game, 48-47, in favor of XU.
UPDATE 9:17 - Well, someone other than Anderson scored for XU, with Brown hitting a pair of free throws, and the Muskies hold a 45-40 lead with 14:22 to play. The Rams hit just one of their first eight shots from the field to start the second half.
UPDATE 9:11 - Nine points in the second half for the Muskies...nine points for Anderson. He's also got all five of his rebounds in the second half. He's on pace for a double-double despite not scoring or pulling down a rebound in the first half.
UPDATE 9:07 - Seven straight points from Anderson, as if on cue. He's the only player, from either team, to get on the board in the second half and we're over two minutes into the half.
UPDATE 9:03 - After playing just six minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, senior C.J. Anderson opened up the second half by grabbing an offensive rebound and converting a three-point play to give XU a 37-34 advantage. Anderson has shown the ability to rise to the occassion at points this season, so he is certainly a player to watch.
UPDATE 9:02 - Senior B.J. Raymond and Brown fueled the Musketeers in the first half, scoring nine and eight points, respectively. Going a combined 8-14 from the field, the duo helped XU shot an astounding 51.7 percent from the field in the first stanza. Xavier shot the ball well in the first half, but did committ 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. No doubt coach Miller addressed that issue at halftime. The Musketeers have taken care the ball better in recent games and will need to gain confidence from those games to shore things up in the second half. Moments away from returning to action!
UPDATE 8:47 - The half ended with freshman Terrell Holloway diving for a looseball to force a jumpball as time expired. The Musketeers have weathered the Rams' storm in the first half, going into the break tied at 34. Rhode Island went 1-for-8 from the first in the final 3:46 of the half, stiffled by the strong man-to-man defense of the Musketeers.
UPDATE 8:45 - Freshman Kenny Frease burst onto the scene with a strong debut, but has felt growing pains at times this season. But in the last handful of games, he has looked more and more comfortable on the floor. He's showed that in this game, finishing twice around the basket, showcasing solid footwork and a tremendous touch.
UPDATE 8:38 - Senior Rams' guard Jimmy Baron showed why he is arguably one of the best shooters in the country, hitting a step-back three to give Rhode Island a five-point lead. But junior Xavier Derrick Brown answered on the other end, throwing down a putback slam to pull XU within three. While Brown has extended his range this season and become a three-point threat, tonight's game has shown why Xavier fans are so excited about him. He already has three dunks tonight.
UPDATE 8:31 - A the under-eight media timeout, the Rams have built a 29-25 lead, thanks to a high-flying alley-oop dunk from Lamonte Ulmer. The transition bucket came after the Musketeers saw the shot clock come down to the wire. One of the points coach Miller emphasized was offensive execution, and its ability to slow down the Rhode Island offense. So far, XU has eight turnovers through just over 13 minutes of game action.
UPDATE 8:27 - A long jumper by the Rams' sophomore seven-footer Will Martell and a quick bucket off the full court pressure has this game knotted at 18. Miller called timeout, but Rhode Island got another turnover and the sharp-shooting Jimmy Baron hit a three to give the Rams their first lead since they scored the first bucket of tonight's contest.
UPDATE 8:23 - Xavier looks well prepared for the Rhode Island press. If I hearing coach Miller correctly, it's a new philosophy for the Rams this season, but it hasn't caught the Musketeers off guard. They have had numerous opportunities off the primary and secondary breaks.
UPDATE 8:13 - At the first official timeout, the Musketeers lead 9-8, but a couple of missed opportunities have kept XU from building a bigger advantage. Not necessarily mistakes, but trying to finish with contact and a questionable traveling call have kept the Rams from taking an early blow from the Muskies.
UPDATE 8:06 - Opening tip and the place isn't quite filled, but there is a sold-out atmosphere. The crowd let out quite the roar when the the Rams won the tip.
UPDATE 8:04 - I kid you not, a member of the local ROTC just repelled from the rafters right above me here at Ryan Center. Apparently he was delivering the game ball. But all I really noticed was a man free-falling from the ceiling. That was pretty sweet, I can't lie.
UPDATE 7:50 - Just about ten minutes until we will get underway and the Ryan Center here in Kingston is slowly filling up. Snow and ice has slowed down some fans, I am sure, but the expectations for a match up with the Musketeers and a "Blue Out" have the crowd buzzing. Whenever Xavier emerges from the locker room and takes the floor, the Rams fans are delivering a chorus of boos. They are making an early "Sixth Man" bid.
UPDATE 7:09 - Welcome to the newest addition of the X Blog. The Musketeers just finished a shootaround session and are headed back to the locker room. Tonight's game will feature a clash of styles. Rhode Island is known around the Atlantic 10 as an offensive team, while Xavier has builit its reputation around playing strong man-to-man defense. Check out GoXavier.com to see head coach Sean Miller's interview from this morning's shootaround to see what he thinks the keys to the game are on both sides of the ball.
UPDATE 10:06 - XU gets the ball in and Brown will step to the line with a chance to extend the advantage once again ... He hits both, giving Xavier a 67-63 lead, but URI scores off an offensive rebound with 5.5 to play. This game isn't over yet.
UPDATE 10:04 - Freshman? Maybe. Cool customer? Most definitely. With the game on the line and 31 seconds left to play, Holloway hit a pair of free throws to extend the XU lead to four, 65-61. URI scores on a layup on the other end with 16 seconds on the clock. Timeout Rams as they try to set up their defense.
UPDATE 10:00 - As the clock hits the 10 o'clock hour, the Musketeers are forced to call a timeout on the baseline. With 33 seconds on the shot clock and 49.3 seconds on the game clock, XU holds a two-point advantage.
UPDATE 9:58 - To a collective "oh" from the Rams faithful, sophomore Dante Jackson just hit a three in transition to give the Musketeers a 63-61 lead with under two minutes to play.
UPDATE 9:56 - Anderson has fouled out, fighting for an offensive rebound. He finishes with 11 points and six rebounds, after being held out of the stat sheet in the first half.
UPDATE 9:52 - Jimmy Baron has put the Rams on his back. He hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 59-59, and then turned a Musketeer turnover into a long-range jumper to give URI the lead. As the horn sounds for the final media timeout, Frease will go to the line, drawing a foul after grabbing a critical offensive rebound. 61-59 in favor of the Rams with 3:12 to play.
UPDATE 9:43 - Head URI coach Jim Baron was just assessed a technical for arguing a call. Redford stepped to the line and hit both free throw amid a chorus of boos to put the Musketeers in front, 57-56. Anderson extended the advantage to three with a pair of free throws, earned on the foul Baron argued.
UPDATE 9:36 - A true testament to hard work paying off, Love just hit a pair of free throws to give the lead back to XU. After shooting 60 percent from the charity stripe last season, Love entered the game hitting over 75 percent of his foul shots this season. He's 4-for-4 from the free throw line tonight.
UPDATE 9:34 - With the Rams threatening to take control of the game, coach Miller has brought Anderson off the bench with 8:58 to play despite having four fouls. Another three-pointer by James put URI up 54-50, but freshman Brad Redford answered with a trey of his own. He had missed his last four attempts from long range.
UPDATE 9:30 - After a scoreless three minutes, Rhode Island has pushed the tempo up a notch and taken a 50-48 lead after a three-pointer by Delroy James. Coach Miller was forced to call a timeout and quiet the Rhode Island faithful that was brought to its feet by the three from the corner.
UPDATE 9:28 - Anderson just picked up his fourth foul. The Musketeers will need another catalyst after a pair of URI free throws have made it a one-point game, 48-47, in favor of XU.
UPDATE 9:17 - Well, someone other than Anderson scored for XU, with Brown hitting a pair of free throws, and the Muskies hold a 45-40 lead with 14:22 to play. The Rams hit just one of their first eight shots from the field to start the second half.
UPDATE 9:11 - Nine points in the second half for the Muskies...nine points for Anderson. He's also got all five of his rebounds in the second half. He's on pace for a double-double despite not scoring or pulling down a rebound in the first half.
UPDATE 9:07 - Seven straight points from Anderson, as if on cue. He's the only player, from either team, to get on the board in the second half and we're over two minutes into the half.
UPDATE 9:03 - After playing just six minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, senior C.J. Anderson opened up the second half by grabbing an offensive rebound and converting a three-point play to give XU a 37-34 advantage. Anderson has shown the ability to rise to the occassion at points this season, so he is certainly a player to watch.
UPDATE 9:02 - Senior B.J. Raymond and Brown fueled the Musketeers in the first half, scoring nine and eight points, respectively. Going a combined 8-14 from the field, the duo helped XU shot an astounding 51.7 percent from the field in the first stanza. Xavier shot the ball well in the first half, but did committ 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. No doubt coach Miller addressed that issue at halftime. The Musketeers have taken care the ball better in recent games and will need to gain confidence from those games to shore things up in the second half. Moments away from returning to action!
UPDATE 8:47 - The half ended with freshman Terrell Holloway diving for a looseball to force a jumpball as time expired. The Musketeers have weathered the Rams' storm in the first half, going into the break tied at 34. Rhode Island went 1-for-8 from the first in the final 3:46 of the half, stiffled by the strong man-to-man defense of the Musketeers.
UPDATE 8:45 - Freshman Kenny Frease burst onto the scene with a strong debut, but has felt growing pains at times this season. But in the last handful of games, he has looked more and more comfortable on the floor. He's showed that in this game, finishing twice around the basket, showcasing solid footwork and a tremendous touch.
UPDATE 8:38 - Senior Rams' guard Jimmy Baron showed why he is arguably one of the best shooters in the country, hitting a step-back three to give Rhode Island a five-point lead. But junior Xavier Derrick Brown answered on the other end, throwing down a putback slam to pull XU within three. While Brown has extended his range this season and become a three-point threat, tonight's game has shown why Xavier fans are so excited about him. He already has three dunks tonight.
UPDATE 8:31 - A the under-eight media timeout, the Rams have built a 29-25 lead, thanks to a high-flying alley-oop dunk from Lamonte Ulmer. The transition bucket came after the Musketeers saw the shot clock come down to the wire. One of the points coach Miller emphasized was offensive execution, and its ability to slow down the Rhode Island offense. So far, XU has eight turnovers through just over 13 minutes of game action.
UPDATE 8:27 - A long jumper by the Rams' sophomore seven-footer Will Martell and a quick bucket off the full court pressure has this game knotted at 18. Miller called timeout, but Rhode Island got another turnover and the sharp-shooting Jimmy Baron hit a three to give the Rams their first lead since they scored the first bucket of tonight's contest.
UPDATE 8:23 - Xavier looks well prepared for the Rhode Island press. If I hearing coach Miller correctly, it's a new philosophy for the Rams this season, but it hasn't caught the Musketeers off guard. They have had numerous opportunities off the primary and secondary breaks.
UPDATE 8:13 - At the first official timeout, the Musketeers lead 9-8, but a couple of missed opportunities have kept XU from building a bigger advantage. Not necessarily mistakes, but trying to finish with contact and a questionable traveling call have kept the Rams from taking an early blow from the Muskies.
UPDATE 8:06 - Opening tip and the place isn't quite filled, but there is a sold-out atmosphere. The crowd let out quite the roar when the the Rams won the tip.
UPDATE 8:04 - I kid you not, a member of the local ROTC just repelled from the rafters right above me here at Ryan Center. Apparently he was delivering the game ball. But all I really noticed was a man free-falling from the ceiling. That was pretty sweet, I can't lie.
UPDATE 7:50 - Just about ten minutes until we will get underway and the Ryan Center here in Kingston is slowly filling up. Snow and ice has slowed down some fans, I am sure, but the expectations for a match up with the Musketeers and a "Blue Out" have the crowd buzzing. Whenever Xavier emerges from the locker room and takes the floor, the Rams fans are delivering a chorus of boos. They are making an early "Sixth Man" bid.
UPDATE 7:09 - Welcome to the newest addition of the X Blog. The Musketeers just finished a shootaround session and are headed back to the locker room. Tonight's game will feature a clash of styles. Rhode Island is known around the Atlantic 10 as an offensive team, while Xavier has builit its reputation around playing strong man-to-man defense. Check out GoXavier.com to see head coach Sean Miller's interview from this morning's shootaround to see what he thinks the keys to the game are on both sides of the ball.
Ta'Shia Phillips Featured on ESPN.com
Check out Beth Mowins' latest article on ESPN.com featuring Ta'Shia Phillips. Mowins was one of the commentators for the XU vs. Charlotte game on Sunday. She was obviously impressed with Ta'Shia and the rest of the Musketeers judging from what she wrote.
Admittedly, the X Blog has been on hiatus but we plan on getting back in the swing for the remainder of basketball season. We will be live blogging from Kingston, R.I. for tonight's XU vs. URI MBB tilt.
Admittedly, the X Blog has been on hiatus but we plan on getting back in the swing for the remainder of basketball season. We will be live blogging from Kingston, R.I. for tonight's XU vs. URI MBB tilt.
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