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X Wins Final Road Game of Season at Fordham
By
Jay Skeldon,
3/3/2010
No. 25 Xavier moved one step closer and just one game away from winning its fourth straight Atlantic 10 Championship on Wednesday night. The Musketeers travelled to the Big Apple and knocked off the stuggling Fordham Rams, winning 82-56 at Rose Hill Gym. Jamel McLean led all scorers with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. The junior also pulled down eight rebounds as XU improved its record to 22-7 and 13-2 in the Atlantic 10. Fordham, meanwhile, drops to a lowly 2-25 (0-15 A-10).
The Rams got out of the gate on a fast start as the team was celebrating its senior night. Fordham hung tough with the Muskies for the first 10 minutes of the first half including leading at two different junctures. After Fordham went ahead 22-21 with 9:15 left in the half, Xavier began to create some distance between the two teams. The X-Men finished out the half outscoring FU, 26-9, as the Musketeers went into half with a 14 point lead, 45-31. That just happens to be the same halftime score in the earlier meeting this seaosn between Fordham and Xavier.
In the second half, the Musketeers put the game out of reach as it reeled off a 9-0 run. Between the 18:44 and 16:27 marks, Dante Jackson drilled a 3-pointer, McLean drilled three free throws, and Jordan Crawford recorded two baskets. That pushed XU ahead, 58-35, and put the team in the driver's seat as the Muskies cruised to their 22nd victory of the season.
After the first ten minutes of the game, Xavier tightened its defense. It held Fordham to just 34 percent shooting and also picked the pocket of the Rams seven times for the game including two by Brian Walsh, who played 12 minutes and also rattled in four points.
Xavier won the points in the paint, 40-34, and held the advantage on the glass, outrebounding Fordham, 56-41. That included 19-12 on offensive rebounds.
Three other Musketeers joined McLean in double-digit scoring. Terrell Holloway and Mark Lyons, two New York natives who were playing before several family and friends, had solid offensive efforts. Holloway finished with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Lyons added 11 points, and the duo pulled down four rebounds apiece as well. Crawford, who was heavily guarded in a box-in-one defense, managed to toss in 11 points while also reeling in eight rebounds and dishing six assists.
The Rams were led by Chris Gaston (15 points, 13 rebounds), Brenton Butler (13 points), and Alberto Estwick (11 points).
Xavier returns to the Queen City and will play in its final regular season game this weekend against St. Bonaventure. The game will honor its lone senior, Jason Love, in pregame ceremonies. Tipoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. and is set to be televised on Fox Sports Net Ohio.
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