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Xavier Knocks Off Norse in Exhibition Finale
By
Jay Skeldon,
11/8/2009
If the exhibition results are any indication of what lies ahead for Xavier this season, it's clear that guard Jordan Crawford will be an integral component to the Muskies' offense. For the second straight game, Crawford led all Xavier scorers with 16 points while adding five assists and just one turnover as XU knocked off visiting Division II Northern Kentucky, 83-66, at Cintas Center on Saturday evening. With the preseason slate complete, Youngstown State awaits the X-Men in the team's season opener on Friday.
The offensive attack was well balanced as four Musketeers scored in double figures. Joining Crawford in double digits were point guard Terrell Holloway (15 points, 2-of-4 3-pt, 3 assists), Jamel McLean (12 points, 13 rebounds), and Brad Redford (12 points on 4-of-4 3-Pt).
The Muskies were challenged by the Norse, which featured four starters that transferred from Division I schools, in their final tuneup. NKU pulled within three just before halftime. The visitors continued to hang around for the first five minutes of the second half until Xavier zipped off a 17-6 run capped by two consecutive 3-pointers by XU guard Dante Jackson. That propelled Xavier to a 66-50 lead with 9:40 left and the team never looked back.
Three players scored in double figures for NKU including Iowa transfer David Palmer who led all scorers with 20 points. Chris McKnight (Bowling Green transfer) added 13 points and six rebounds while Dustin McGuire added 10.
Next up, Xavier will play host to Youngstown State in the season opener. The Penguins return four starters from last season's team including point guard DeAndre Mays (10.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.5 apg) and shooting guard Kelvin Bright (11.4 ppg), both of whom are seniors. Junior guard Vytas Sulskis (10.3 ppg) rounds out the talented guard trio. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Cintas Center and will be televised on FSN-Ohio.
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