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.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
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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