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.