Men's Basketball vs. Virginia Tech Live Blog

Notes: A pair of 3-0 teams will take the court in the first semifinal of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Invitational. Xavier defeated Missouri, 75-71, yesterday and Virgina Tech beat Fairfield, 74-57, to set up the matchup. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), in which VT claims membership, holds an undefeated, 29-0 record through the first two weeks of the college basketball season. The Musketeers will be looking to blemish that record this afternoon. Tip-off in just about 18 minutes!

UPDATE 1:26 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time): The Musketeers have hit the floor! Two minutes to introductions.

UPDATE 1:32 p.m.: Virginia Tech won the tip, fighting for an offensive rebound but have had to work deep into the shot clock on this first possession. It's safe to say, this is a harder defense than the Hokies faced against Fairfield.

UPDATE 1:35 p.m.: Just like yesterday, Derrick Brown got the Musketeers on the board first, this time with a jumper from the baseline. He is going to be tough to guard in the post this season.

UPDATE 1:39 p.m.: Already at the first media timeout. VT looks like a team that will like to push the tempo, taking a three-pointer early in a possession to take a 7-4 lead. I won't divulge which team, but a gentleman wearing an undisclosed NBA team logo on his polo just said that Xavier doesn't "have the horses" to make a run this year. While the Musketeers are young, it's hard to miss the talent at all five positions. I would have to respectively disagree with him.

UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: Kenny Frease has shown why he was the Musketeers' top-rated recruit coming in, grabbing defensive boards in traffic on consecutive possessions. As he figures out which moves are going to work on the offensive end at the highest level of college basketball he is going to be a force.

UPDATE 1:49 p.m.: One of the things Coach Sean Miller mentioned in his post game press conference yesterday was the way Missouri challenges rebounds even after a player has brought them down. It didn't pop out at me during yesterday's game, but looking for it today, I see what he meant. The Hokies, like most teams, are more concerned about getting back on defense then trying to poke away the ball after a rebound. That's allowed the Musketeers to get into their offense much more comfortably this time around.

UPDATE 1:56 p.m.: Jamel McLean continues to shoot a high percentage because he is extremely active on the offensive boards. Very few players have his ability to score off the rebound like he does, whether it's a put-back dunk or tip-in.

UPDATE 2:05 p.m.: For all the talk of the tough Xavier defense, Virginia Tech plays a very similar style. Both teams play tough man-to-man and limit penetration, forcing teams to run through their offense. Right now VT is having slightly more success at that right now, holding a four-point lead, 21-17 with about four minutes to play.

UPDATE 2:08 p.m.: A slashing cutter just scored a layup, forcing Coach Miller to call a timeout. One of the things he has had to deal with this season is finding the right combination of players. With a lot of new faces and a tremendous amount of talent, that's a challenge at this early juncture.

UPDATE 2:19 p.m.: That's the Kenny Frease we have been waiting for! After strugging through the first 18 minutes of the half, Frease scored on back-to-back possessions. Making a quick move to the inside, he got a friendly roll the first time, which seemed to build his confidence. The next time down the floor, the Musketeers immediately found him on the block, where he turned to the baseline and banked a hook shot off the glass for two. Two-point game in favor of the Hokies, as we head into halftime.

UPDATE: 2:32 p.m.: The second half will begin shortly. Blogging will resume shortly after I try to snag a few pictures as the Musketeers will be attacking the basket nearest me. For those of you that can, be sure to check out the game on ESPNU!

UPDATE 2:42 p.m.: After tying the game on the first possession thanks to a nice move inside by Jason Love, the Musketeers trail 34-28 at the first media timeout. Back-to-back three-points by the Hokies offset a trey by Derrick Brown, who has continued to expand his game.

UPDATE 2:50 p.m.: The Hokies matched their largest lead of the game at eight points, but a strong bucket by McLean inside has pulled the Musketeers within six. On the other end, tough defense by Terrell Holloway kept VT from getting into its offense and forced a timeout by the Hokies. He may be one of the best on-ball defenders on the team.

UPDATE 2:58 p.m.: A pair of free throws by Frease after he was fouled grabbing an offensive rebound pulled the Musketeers within three, but five straight points from the Hokies have ballooned the margin back to eight. VT has shown range throughout the game, while the Musketeers have struggled with their jump shooting today.

UPDATE 3:02 p.m.: C.J. Anderson just converted a three-point play to pull Xavier within seven, 46-39. As one of the senior leaders on this team he was calling for the ball and made the best of the opportunity....AND HE DID IT AGAIN! Fighting for an offensive rebound, Anderson took it to the basket with authority, drawing a foul and making the basket. He missed the free throw, but it's a five-point game, 46-41. And now the Musketeers are in a zone.

UPDATE 3:06 p.m.: Coach Miller has lit a fire under these Musketeers. The zone has forced a turnover and toughness on the offensive glass has B.J. Raymond as the line with two free throw chances. He makes the first and...makes the second. Three-point game with eight minutes to play as the XU faithful chants D-FENSE!

UPDATE 3:08 p.m.: The Hokies scored on the other end and XU missed a jumper, giving the ball back to VT. They drew a questionable foul call inside and will go the line for two with a five-point advantage, 48-43, with 7:14 on the clock. The intenity in this arena, although sparsely populated, has gone up a notch.

UPDATE 3:14 p.m.: The Musketeers just can't seem to get over the hump. Every time they pull within three or four points, the ball either rims out or the Hokies hit a big shot. This time around, XU wound the shot clock nearly all the way down and missed the shot and VT went down to the other end and hit a three to give the Hokies a seven-point lead, 52-45.

UPDATE 3:17 p.m.: A three-pointer by Brown pulls the Musketeers within four and a moving pick by the Hokies gives the ball back to XU. Is there a doctor in the house? In a low scoring affair like this (52-48 with 3:45 to play), it's easy to draw comparison to a late-season tournament game. That's one of the benefits Coach Miller said there is to playing in a tournament like this: a field of competition that presents a tough challenge throughout.

UPDATE 3:26 p.m.: Alright, there is 1:17 left and it's a tie ball game. You will have to check GoXavier.com to get the final! Thanks for all the "tuned in" this blog and be sure to keep checking GoXavier.com for all the lastest news on Xavier athletics.