Xavier And Mack Agree To New Deal

By:  Coop


Earlier today, Xavier University Athletic Director, Mike Bobinski, announced that the University has come to an agreement with Head Coach, Chris Mack, that last until 2017-2018 season.


"This is the most comprehensive agreement we have ever offered to a head coach at Xavier University and we are pleased to do so," said Bobinski. "Chris (Mack) is much more than just one of the best young coaches in college basketball. We believe he is one of the best coaches in college basketball and that our program will excel both on and off the court under his leadership in the years ahead."



"I have said many times that the commitment from our administration has been paramount to our success in college basketball," said Mack. "Xavier is a special place and the support from (University President Fr.) Mike Graham, (Vice President) John Kucia, (Athletic Director) Mike Bobinski and the entire Xavier Community is overwhelming. As both an alum and the head coach, I am excited about the future of the Xavier basketball program."


The 41-year-old coach and Xavier grad is entering his 3rd year coaching the Musketeers.  He was named Atlantic 10 Coach of the year last season, after leading the Muskies to a 24-8 season, along with an A-10 Regular Season Title.  Mack is 50-17 overall at XU, along with a nice 29-3 A-10 record.

Xavier Eliminated

Tu Holloway prays for a miracle in
Xavier's loss to Marquette.

By:  Cooper Ledford


The Xavier Musketeers, who usually make it to at least the Sweet 16, were facing the Marquette Golden Eagles in Cleveland, Ohio.  I said this game would be great, and too good for truTV.  I was wrong.  This game was terrible.  This game shouldn't have even been televised.  Xavier lost 66-55, and their season comes to a close.  Seniors like Dante Jackson, Andrew Taylor, and Jamel McLean, have all finished their careers at Xavier University.


This was a very tough loss for XU.  If this was a regular season game, I would not even bother to take the time to make a recap.  If this was the 1st time I ever watched the Muskies, I would think they were a Division 2 team.  Not a good performance for them.  Pretty much the whole team played terribly, and will pack up and head back to Cincinnati tomorrow. Oh, and by the way, Xavier NEVER lead in this ballgame. 


This is sad for the Seniors, as their career ends early.  But one senior had a great game tonight.  That man would be Andrew Taylor.  Andrew only averaged 2 points per game, but in this one he had 16.  Behind him was Kenny Frease who had 12, and then the Senior Dante Jackson had 10 points.  The Musketeers star player, Tu Holloway, only had 5 points off the bench.  I said Tu would be the key to this game, if he did not get about 20 points, X would lose, and that they did.  He could have very well been the reason they lost.  Or, it could have been how bad they were from the floor, only 40%, and they only had 2 3's.


So the Musketeers season is over.  Tough loss.  That's all I can say.  I guess there is always next year.


But, even though they lost, I have to have something positive in this recap, here it is:


CONGRATULATIONS TO THE XAVIER MUSKETEERS ON A GREAT REGULAR SEASON, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE XAVIER SENIORS ON A GREAT CAREER AT XU.

Xavier Ends Regular Season With Win Over SLU

By:  Cooper Ledford


Earlier this week, the Xavier Musketeers clinched at least a share of the A-10 Title with a win over Charlotte, and had a chance to win it outright today against Saint Louis.  XU had beaten SLU earlier this season, but this time, it was in St. Louis.  But, that did not matter, as the Muskies were able to beat the Billikens, 66-55.


Xavier had a strong 1st half, and lead the Billikens by 10 at halftime, 31-21.  In the 2nd half, Saint Louis got back into it, and at one point they were only trailing by 3.  But, Xavier was able to go on a nice run, and before you knew it, they were back up by 11, and won.


Tu Holloway had a poor performance vs. Charlotte earlier this week, but he had a very impressive game today, as he had 25 points.  Mark Lyons did well too, as he had 16 points, while Kenny Frease added 10.


This was the last regular season game for players like Andrew Taylor, Dante Jackson, and Jamel McLean, but also it could be the final one for Tu Holloway, as he could be playing in the NBA next season.


Brain Conklin had 14 points for Saint Louis, while Mike McCall added 13.


So, Xavier finishes their regular season with an overall record of 24-6 and 15-1 in A-10 play, while SLU finishes 12-18 overall, and 6-10 in the A-10.  A great season for XU, as they improved from last season.


Next, it is the Atlantic 10 Tournament from Atlantic City, New Jersey.  The Musketeers will get a first-round BYE,  and then play at noon ET on Friday against the winner of the  #8 seed vs.#9 seed game.  Those teams are yet to be determined, but we will tell you who they will face as soon as we know.  That game will be on either FS Ohio or CBS College Sports probably.

Xavier Picks Up Senior Night Win Over 49ers, Clinch A-10 Season Title

The Xavier Musketeers celebrate their 5th consecutive
Atlantic 10 Regular Season Title.

By:  Cooper Ledford


The #23 Xavier Musketeers were upset by the Charlotte 49ers earlier this season, but getting revenge on them was not their main goal in this game.  All they really wanted to do was get a win for the Seniors.  The guys like Dante Jackson, Jamel McLean, and Andrew Taylor.  Xavier was also trying to clinch the Regular Season Atlantic 10 title, with a chance to win it outright this weekend in St. Louis.  Well, Xavier accomplished their goals, and beat the 49ers, 68-48.


Xavier had a decent 36-25 lead at the half, and 11 point lead, and ended up winning by 20.  


Tu Holloway only had 4 points, but who really cares (sorry Tu), because Dante Jackson had 18 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 steals, in his final game at the Cintas Center.  Another Senior, Jamel McLean, had 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 block.  Andrew Taylor had 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist.  


A man who will be a Senior next year, Kenny Frease, had 14 points, and 7 boards.  Mark Lyons added 10 points, and had 7 assists.


So, as I said, Xavier has won at least a share of the A-10 Regular Season Title, and have a chance to win it outright next week vs. Saint Louis.  This is the Musketeers 5th consecutive season where they have clinched at least a share of the A-10 Regular Season Title, their 2nd under Coach Chris Mack.


Congratulations to the Xavier Seniors on a great career at the University of Xavier.  


Up next, the Muskies will play their final game of the year, as they will head to St. Louis to take on SLU.  That game will be Saturday at 2 PM ET, and will be televised on CBS College Sports.

Xavier Completes Season Sweep Of Dayton

Tu Holloway had 26
points in Xavier's win
over Dayton, Sunday.

DAYTON, Ohio - The No. 25 Xavier Musketeers visited hostile UD arena and picked up a victory against A-10 rival the University of Dayton Flyers, 66-62 Sunday afternoon. Junior guard Tu Holloway led all scorers as XU completed the regular season sweep on UD.
Holloway had 26 points off 8-of-17 shooting, including going an almost perfect 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Holloway also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists. Jamel McLean was 5-of-6 from the floor for 11 points. Mark Lyons chipped in 10 points and four assists.
With the win, the Musketeers move to 22-6 on the season and 13-1 in Atlantic 10 action. The Flyers drop to 19-10 and 7-7 in conference action. This was the third-straight conference game that UD has dropped.
Xavier finished the contest shooting 46.0 percent from the floor compared with 41.1 percent from Dayton. The teams were consistent from the free throw line, with XU going 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) and UD going 8-of-11 (72.7 percent). The Musketeers won the battle of the boards 34-31 and points in the paint 32-22. The Flyers bested the Musketeers in points off turnovers (21-14), second chance points (12-8) and fastbreak points (15-5).
The Flyers came out hot in the second half, scoring the first seven points to cut Xavier's lead to 37-32. UD would get within five of XU four more times within the half, unable to surpass the barrier until going on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 59-59 with a little under two minutes left in the contest.
Holloway was fouled with under a minute and a half and gave XU the slight two point lead, 61-59. Holloway then came back on the Musketeers' following possession and hit a critical trey to give Xavier the 64-59 advantage with 41 seconds left. Xavier would hold on for the rest of the game.
Dayton's Chris Johnson led the way for the Flyers early, scoring 14 of his 22 points in the first frame. He got two quick treys early to give UD the slight 6-2 advantage. That is when the Musketeers went on a 14-2 run to lead 16-8 with 14 minutes left in the first half. The Flyers had 13 turnovers which the Musketeers capitalized on by scoring 12 points.

The closest the Flyers would come in the first was five, but the Musketeers surged on to lead by as many as 13 points. The score at halftime saw the Musketeers up on the Flyers, 37-25. XU was 48.3 percent from the field, while UD went 9-of-25 for 36.0 percent. Dayton shot 60 percent from three-point land, connecting on six treys in the first half, while Xavier went 2-for-10.
Johnson led the way for Dayton with 22 points off 6-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-8 from behind the arc. UD's leading scorer Chris Wright, who averages 12.8 points per game, was held scoreless until the 15:18 mark of the second half. Wright would finish with 11 points.
Xavier will play its final home game on Wednesday, March 2 against the Charlotte 49ers. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center. 

What The Games Mean This Weekend

By:  Cooper Ledford

Kentucky vs. Florida (SAT, 4 PM ET, CBS)- The Wildcats are a very weak team on the road, but at home, they look like last year's team, as they look like the best team in the country no matter who they are playing.  UK has not lost at the Comfy Confines of Rupp Arena, but Florida is a good team.  Last time the Gators and Wildcats met up, UK lost by 2.  This time, I expect them to win the game for only 1 reason-it's a home game.

Cincinnati vs. Connecticut (SUN, NOON ET, ESPNU)- The Bearcats looked very good in their last game @ Georgetown, and now they play another good team in the Huskies.  The Huskies will be favored to win, but this is a home game for the 'Cats.  If UC can beat G'Town on the road, I think they could beat UCONN at home.  But, this is Big East Basketball, and nothing is for sure in that league.  If the Bearcats win, look for them to be ranked in the next polls.

Xavier @ Dayton (SUN, 1 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN2)- The Musketeers and Flyers will meet up, Sunday, as the A-10's most heated rivalry continues.  Dayton is having a down season, while Xavier is having a great season, but, as I just said, this is a rivalry game.  Dayton will have the fans behind them, and will be playing better than usual, as they would love to take down the top team in the A-10, the Xavier Musketeers.  But, Xavier has won other tough road games, like @ Richmond, and have played, and beaten, better teams than Dayton.  XU has already beaten UD once this year, back in January, as they won 81-76.  That was a close game at the Cintas Center.  So, by reading this paragraph, it sounds like Dayton might win, well yeah, they might, but I am picking the Muskies in a close game, like 5 or less.  That is just because they are an overall better team.

Ohio State vs. Indiana (SUN, 4 PM ET, CBS)- The Buckeyes are coming off of a nice win over Illinois, and are looking like they are back on track--well, if they ever really went off the track-- and should beat Indiana Sunday.  Indiana is not a very good team, as they are 10th place in the Big Ten, and have won only 12 games this season.  The Hoosiers could upset the Bucks, but I highly doubt that.  This is a home game for Ohio State, and they are a much better team than than Indiana, so they should definitely take down the Hoosiers.

Tu's Triple-Double Leads X To Win Over Rams

Tu Holloway had 26 points,
11 rebounds, and 10 assists
in XU's win over Fordham.

By:  Cooper Ledford


Fordham was expected to give Xavier a struggle.  No just kidding, they definitely were not.  But they did.  Fordham was last in the conference, 0-11 in A-10 play, and had only 6 wins overall, while Xavier was in 1st place in the A-10, was 10-1 in conference play, and had 19 overall wins.  So, on paper, it looked as if the Musketeers would easily beat the Rams, but that was not the case.  But with a Tu Holloway triple-double, it was the Muskies who came away with a win, 79-72.


Like I said, Tu Holloway had a triple-double.  He had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.  Maybe he did that because he was trying to impress his mom, who was in attendance, or perhaps it was to impress Jordan Crawford or CJ Anderson, who were also in attendance.  Or maybe is just good.  Oh yeah, and for the record, Tu is the first Xavier player EVER to record two triple-double's in his career.


Two other Musketeers were in double figures, Mark Lyons, and Kenny Frease.  Mark Lyons had 14 points and 6 boards, while Kenny had 14.  Andrew Taylor added 7 points.


Chris Gaston had a great game for the Rams, as he had 26 points, and 11 rebounds.  Brenton Butler had 21 points, and Alberto Estwick added 14 points.


Back to the game.  You may ask "Why was Fordham even in this game?  I thought they were a bad, last place team!" Well, the reason why the hang around in this one was because of their success from behind the line.  The Rams were 10-22 from three-country, that is 45.5%, much better than XU as they were 4-16 and 25% from behind the line.  Also, another reason was because of how good Fordham's rebounding was.  They had 13 offensive rebounds, as opposed to 5 offensive rebounds for X.  Fordham had 36 total boards, as opposed to 29 for the X-Men.  So there you have it, that is why Fordham was even in this game.


Even though the Musketeers did not do as well as expected, they pick up the win and that is all that matters.  XU is now 20-6 overall, and 11-1 in the A-10, while Fordham falls to 6-18, and 0-12 in the A-10.  For Xavier, they should be in the ESPN/USA Today Coach's poll this week, as long as a top 25 team falls out of the rankings.  


The 1st place Xavier Musketeers will be back in action on Tuesday, as they will host the La Salle Explorers at 7 PM ET.  You can catch that game on CBS College Sports.

#24 Musketeers Down St. Joseph's

PHILADELPHIA -- Mark Lyons scored 24 points, Kenny Frease had 17 points and 10 rebounds and No. 24 Xavier beat Saint Joseph's 74-54 on Wednesday night.

The Musketeers (19-6, 10-1 Atlantic 10) won their fourth straight and are in first place with five games left before the conference tournament. Xavier moved into The Associated Press' college basketball poll this week for the first time this season.

The Musketeers used a 12-1 run in the second half to pull away from the lowly Hawks (7-18, 2-9).

Idris Hilliard led the Hawks with 13 points.

Lyons kept driving past the Hawks for easy layups and fell one shy of his career high point total. He set the tone for an Xavier team that took few outside shots the second half. Xavier attacked for buckets and made 17 of 18 free throws.


Next, Xavier will return home to take on a last-place Fordham team.  That game will be on Saturday at 8 PM ET, and will be on FS Ohio.

X Rebounds From Upset, Beats SLU

XU's Tu Holloway had 24 points in Xavier's win over
Saint Louis, Saturday.

By:  Cooper Ledford


What is a Billiken?  Well Wikipedia says this: "The Billiken was a charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Ms. Florence Pretz of St. Louis, Missouri, who is said to have seen the mysterious figure in a dream."    No matter what it is, Xavier beat the Billikens of Saint Louis University, 76-68.  The Musketeers needed this win, as they were coming off of an upset-loss to Charlotte.  Xavier was 15-6 entering this game, and 7-1 in the Atlantic 10, while SLU was 8-13 overall and 3-5 in the A-10.  Since XU won, they go to 16-6 overall and 8-1 in the A-10, while the Billikens fall to 8-14 overall and 3-6 in the A-10.  


There were four Musketeers in double-figures, Tu Holloway (surprised?), Mark Lyons, Kenny Frease, and Jamel McLean.


Tu had 24 points, Lyons had 15, Frease had 12, and McLean had 11.  In the 1st half, Kenny Frease was the man, as he had 12 points, but in the 2nd half, he was cooled down as he was left blank, but still had a good game with those 12 points.  Also, Dante Jackson should not be over looked, as he had a good game, and added 8 points.


SLU's leading scorer was Brian Conklin, as he had 24 points.  There was one more Billiken in doubles, as it was Rob Loe, as he had 18 points.


Last week, Xavier got a ton of votes to be ranked, but I highly doubt they will be ranked come Monday, I think that loss to the 49ers really hurt their chances at a number in-front of their name.  However, I still expect them to get some votes, and a pretty decent number of votes.


The Muskies are in 2nd place, as of now, in the Atlantic 10, as the Dukes of Duquesne are atop the conference as they are 16-5 overall and 8-0 in the A-10.  Xavier fans, you can hope for DU to lose today, as they are in action, as they travel to the State of New York to take on St. Bonny.  If the Dukes lose, the X-Men will be tied for the top spot in the Atlantic 10.


Next, the Musketeers travel to Athens, Georgia to take on the UGA Bulldogs.  This will be a tough game for the Muskies no doubt.  That would be a nice win for X, so hopefully they will win it.  That game is Tuesday (hope it will be more like Tu's Day), at 7:00 PM ET and will be on ESPNU.

Xavier Beats Minnesota, Pitt up Next

By:  Cooper Ledford

The sixth seeded Xavier Musketeers were playing the eleventh seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers, Friday.  This was the first round of the NCAA Tournament, whoever loses, would have to get back on the bus to go home.  It ended up being the Gophers that would have to get a ticket back to the Twin Cities, as Xavier won 65-54.

Both teams played equaly as good in the first half, as it was tied at 26 at the half.  The Muskies would outplay Minnesota in the second half.  A big key to the X-Men's success was the sophmore, Jordan Crawford, who scored 28 points.  Crawford dominated the points for XU, infact the second highest scorer was Dante Jackson, who posted only nine points. 

Jamel McLean lead in rebounds with 14.  Xavier out rebounded Minnesota 39-37.  After Richmond losing to St. Mary's and Temple losing to Cornell in the first rounds, Xavier is the only Atlantic 10 team left in the tournament.

The Xavier Musketeers will next take on the Pittsburgh Panthers and have a rematch with them, as Pitt beat Xavier last year in a heart-breaking loss, 60-55.

The Xavier vs. Pitt game is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on Sunday.  The time is not yet announced and the game will be televised on CBS.



NOTABLE STARTERS

Jordan Crawford: 35 min., 28 pts., 6 reb.
Terrell Holloway: 31 min., 6 pts., 4 ast.
Dante Jackson: 30 min., 9 pts., 3 ast.
Jamel McLean: 30 min., 7 pts., 14 reb.
Jason Love: 26 min., 7 pts., 8 reb.

NO NOTABLE BENCH PLAYERS.

Xavier Rallies and Beats Dayton

By: Cooper Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (24-7, 14-2) were playing the Dayton Flyers (20-12, 8-8), Friday night in the Atlantic Ten Quarterfinals.  Xavier was just trying to advance in the tournament, while Dayton was playing to try to get into the NCAA tournament.  Xavier was down for most of the game, but late in the game, Xavier rallied and at the final buzzer won 78-73.

The Dayton Flyers certainly looked good for most of the game, in the first half the game was close for the most part and UD lead by 5, 40-35.  To start the second half, Dayton went on a 16-7 run with 13:11 to go, the score was 56-42.  Dayton had as much as a 15 point lead, it was 61-46 with 10:37 to go.  Perhaps some UD fans were starting to celebrate, but Xavier fans knew that the Muskies were good in come-from-behind situations, just like in the George Washington, UMASS, and first game against Dayton.  Xavier started their rally by just playing good defense and making their possesions worthwhile, and getting points on most of them. 

Xavier tied the game up when Jordan Crawford made a two-point jumper with 2:39 to go, after that, the Musketeers never looked back and went on a 12-7 run to close out the game.  An important part of this game that perhaps gave Xavier the win was a technical foul on Dayton's Rob Lowery 33 seconds to go.  At that time, XU had a two point lead and that sent Terrell Holloway to the free-throw line for two, and more importantly gave the Muskies the ball as well.  Holloway made both free-throws, and Dayton then had to start fouling trying to somehow do the unthinkable, which they were unable to do, Xavier wins in a great Atlantic Ten rivalry game, 78-73.  Xavier finishes by going 2-1 against the Flyers and the Muskies will play either UMASS or Richmond in the A-10 semifinals.  The game will be tomorrow, March 12th at 3:30 PM and will be televised on either an ESPN station OR FS Ohio/Cincinnati. 


NOTEABLE STARTERS (XAVIER)

Jamel McLean: 4 pts., 6 reb., 1 assist.
Jordan Crawford: 20 pts., 3 reb., 1 assist.
Terrell Holloway: 22 pts., 2 reb., 2 assist.

NOTEABLE BENCH (XAVIER)

Jason Love: 17pts., 10 reb., 1 assist.
Mark Lyons: 8 pts., 4 reb.

Xavier Gives Love His Last Home Win

By: Cooper Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (23-7, 14-2) were hosting St. Bonaventure in both teams final regular season games.  This also was Jason Love's last game of the season, and his last game at the Cintas Center.  With XU's 93-72 win, they clinch a share of their fourth strait Atlantic Ten championship.  


Xavier looked good all game, infact started on an 11-0 run, in the first four minutes of the game.  Xavier soon went on another run, after a few points here and there by the Bonnies, and at the half, the Musketeers were 42-33.


In the second half, Xavier looked just as good as they did in the first half, every player got some playing time and Kevin Feeney, the only Musketeer without points this season, got a three, now every Muskie has points this season.  

 Jordan Crawford lead all scorers with 22 points off of 8-of-12 shooting.  Jamel McLean had 15 points off of 6-of-9 shooting and nine rebounds.  Dante' Jackson had 11 points, while Mark Lyons added ten, and Terrell Holloway added nine.

SUB was lead by Andrew Nicholson with 21 points.

"Xavier athletics would like to congratulate senior Jason Love on four great seasons. XU is headed to the Atlantic 10 Tournament. XU will play Friday, time and opponent to be announced. Stay tuned to GOXAVIER.com for more information from Xavier men’s basketball." --goxavier.com

Xavier Beats Richmond in 2 OT

By:  Cooper Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (21-7, 12-2) were hosting the #24 Richmond Spiders, Saturday.  Both teams were coming off of nice winning streaks.  This was a battle of two teams that were tied for first place in the Atlantic 10, along with Temple.  Xavier ended up winning in double-overtime, 76-78, in front of a sell-out crowd, with 10,250 on hand.

Terrell Holloway lead all scorers with 24 points for XU, seven of which came in the second OT.  Jordan Crawford posted 19 points, alond with three boards, while Jason Love put up 16 points and three boards as well.  Also, Mark Lyons had 10 points with six rebounds, while Jamel McLean had nine points and 12 rebounds.

For Richmond, David Gonzalvez and Kevin Anderson lead in scoring, as they both posted 18 points.  Justin Harper also scored 15 points, while Ryan Butler and Dan Geriot both had nine.

As time was running out, in regulation, Jordan Crawford missed a three, sending the game into overtime, then at the end of the first overtime, Crawford missed a try for two, sending the game into a second overtime.  Terrell Holloway was the one who made a two point jumper to give Xavier 75-72 lead in the second overtime, then later on he was fouled, and made both free throws.  After a Richmond turnover, the Musketeers were getting the ball out-of-bounds.  Jordan Crawford was trying to get the ball to Holloway, the A-10's best free throw-shooter, but he ended up getting it to Jason Love, as soon as he got the ball, he was fould.  At the line, he made one and missed one, giving XU a 78-76 lead.  The Spiders had a chance to tie it up with two seconds left, as they were getting the ball out of bounds, the ball was given to Justin Harper, but he missed the two point layup, giving the Musketeers the lead in the Atlantic 10, and the win, 78-76.

Next, Xavier will play their final road game of the regular season, as they will go to NYC, to take on Fordham, the game is Wednesday at 7:00 PM ET, the game will be televised on FSN Ohio.


                                            XAVIER MUSKETEERS


STARTERS

Terrell Holloway, 47 min., 24 pts.
Jordan Crawford, 44 min., 19 pts.
Jamel McLean, 42 min., 9 pts., 13 reb.
Jason Love, 37 min., 16 pts., 9 reb.

BENCH
Mark Lyons, 32 min., 10 pts., 6 reb.

#24 Richmond at Xavier preview

By:  Cooper Ledford SWO SPORTS FOUNDER AND CEO

Tomorrow, Chris Mooney's Richmond Spiders will visit Chris Mack's Xavier Musketeers.  Richmond is #24/#23, while Xavier is not ranked.  Both teams sit atop the Atlantic Ten, along with the Temple Owls.  Richmond is 22-6, and 11-2 in the A-10, while Xavier is 20-7, 11-2.  If Xavier wins the game, they will jump into the top 25, more than likely, and Richmond will exit the rankings.  If Richmond wins, they will likely move up in the rankings, and Xavier will move farther down.

Richmond has some good wins, notable ones are over at-the-time, #13 Florida, and #17 Temple.  Their bad losses have been to William & Mary and Saint Louis.

Xavier's good wins have been over #25 Cincinnati, Florida, and Saint Louis.  Xavier has not had many bad losses, except to Dayton and Marquette.  All seven of the Musketeers losses have been road games, Xavier is perfect at home.

Xavier leads the all-time series, 10-3.

Both teams average 70 points per game, so both teams would love to keep the oppenent in the 60's, which should provide the win.  This should be a close and good game.  My prediction in 74-67, Xavier wins it, since it is at the Cintas Center.

Xavier Proves That Gators Don't Chomp Too Hard

By:  Coop Ledford

The Xavier Musketeers (17-7) were visiting the Florida Gators (17-8), today.  The Musketeers were                    1-0 against SEC teams (beat LSU) and were trying to be 2-0.  The Musketeers were coming off of a loss to Dayton, while the Gators were coming off of a loss to South Carolina.  Florida ended up getting the hangover, and Xavier gets the "Hard Fought Win", (76-64)-GOXAVIER.COM

Jason Love and Jamel McLean both had a double-double, Love with 20 points and 10 boards, and McLean with 12 points and a career high 15 rebounds.

Xavier had the lead at the half, 40-33.  However, the Gators came out into the second half on fire, they ended up tieing the game at 47, and then took the lead with a Vernon Macklin bucket, but after that, Kenny Frease made a nice jumper, tieing the game at 49.  Xavier took the lead off of a three by Dante’ Jackson, and then XU never looked back.

Next the Muskies will play host to Saint Joseph's, the game is on Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET and will be televised on Fox Sports Ohio.

Picture: Jamel McLean posted
12 points, along with 15 rebounds

Xavier keeps home winning streak alive versus Dayton

By: Cooper Ledford

Picture: Jason Love had 10

points in Xavier's win over Dayton.

The Xavier Musketeers (12-5, 4-0 A-10) were hosting the Dayton Flyers (13-4, 2-1 A-10). Dayton has not beat Xavier in Cincinnati since 1981, when Ronald Reagan was president. Both teams fought hard and were determined to win the game. Xavier ended up winning 78-74.

Dante Jackson had a career-high in points with 19. Jackson lead XU in scoring. Jordan Crawford fouled out in the first half, but late in the game made the clinching basket, a fadeaway jumper with 14 seconds left. Jordan Crawford had 16 points in the game, 14 of which were in the second half.

Terrell Holloway posted 17 points, while Jason Love scored 10, and had six blocks.

Marcus Johnson was the leading scorer for Dayton, Johnson had 17 points and was 6-of-14 shooting.

The Muskies were 24 of 30 on the free-throw line while UD was 16 of 25.

The next meeting between UD and XU will be on February the 6th. Next, Xavier will go to Philadelphia to take on the 19th ranked Temple Owls. The game is on Wednesday, the 20th at 7:00 PM ET, the game will be televised on FSN Ohio.

Yesterday's Crosstown Shootout Declared ESPN Instant Classic

By: Cooper Ledford

CINCINNATI, OH- The Xavier Musketeers (6-3) were hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats (6-2) in the annual Crosstown Shootout. This was great game, X went on to win in double overtime, 83-79.



"Xavier has now won three straight over its crosstown rivals, six of the last eight meetings, eight of the last 11 and 10 of the last 14.
ESPN Classic will air the game on Monday evening at 10:00 p.m. EST, while ESPNU will air the contest at 3:30 a.m. EST Tuesday morning. Jim Barbar and Fran Fraschilla called the action.
Xavier will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 19, when it visits No. 22 Butler. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Brent Musburger and Bob Knight are the broadcasters this Saturday from historic Hinkle Fieldhouse." Goxavier.com



Here is how the game went. Xavier had as much as a 10 point lead, but UC caught on and tied it up and the game was a close one until the end of regulation, it was tied up. Into overtime, it was more of a defensive game and not many points for either team, at the end of the 1st overtime, it was tied up once again. The game was going into a 2nd overtime. The two teams entered the second OT tied at 74 and Cincinnati once again took an early lead, 79-76, after Yancey Gates connected on a short jumper at the three-minute mark. But in the theme of the night, XU once again answered the bell. Jordan Crawford made one free throw on the ensuing possession and then Holloway made a big play on the defensive end by taking a charge to force a turnover.
Jason Love then slipped the screen, took a feed from Crawford and converted on the open layup. UC's Steve Toyloy missed both of his attempts from the free throw line on the next possession and Love took advantage by making another big shot to give XU the lead for good, 81-79, with 40-seconds to go.
XU held UC without a field goal for the final three-minutes of the second overtime to clinch the win.

The player of the game was Terrell Holloway who had a career-high 26 points, and played a big part in Xavier's win. Jason Love showed some last minute heroics, making the last two buckets in the second overtime.

As for the Bearcats, Lance Stephenson had a career-high 22 points and had help from Yancy Gates who had 18 points.

Cincinnati will play next at UAB in a 7 p.m. game on Dec. 16 in Birmingham, Alabama. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports.

Next Xavier will travel to Indianapolis to take on a tough Butler team, that game will be on 19th, at 2:00 PM ET and will be televised on ESPN2.

Picture: Terrell Holloway in Xavier double overtime win against rivals, Cincinnati.