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Crawford Leads Offensive Attack
By
Jay Skeldon,
11/21/2009
During the Musketeers’ three game homestand to open the 2009-10 season, one thing was very evident: Xavier’s offensive firepower. The latest victim beaten down by XU's explosive attack was Sacred Heart on Saturday evening before 9,753 fans at Cintas Center. The Muskies hit the “century mark” for the second straight game as they defeated the Pioneers, 105-65.
Once again, Jordan Crawford was dominant, leading all scorers with a career-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting including a smoking 4-of-5 from 3-point range. That mark shattered his previous best of 24 points, which was set during the prior game against BGSU. Xavier (3-0) looks to continue its early season success into the Old Spice Tournament in Orlando, which is set to open on Thanksgiving Day. Sacred Heart, meanwhile, drops to an even 2-2 on the season.
Save the first basket of the game by Sacred Heart, the Musketeers led the entire game. The Pioneers’ Liam Potter opened the game with a dunk as SHU went ahead 2-0. The lead did not last, though, as XU guard Terrell Holloway proceeded to rip a triple with 19:22 left in the first half to propel Xavier into the lead.
The one point lead was quickly extended to four – then five – then 10 – then 15 and 20. The game took on a hectic, up-tempo style, which favored the more athletic X-Men. The Musketeers’ margin in the first half stretched to as high as 26 points and the game was officially in the bag.
A total of four Xavier players finished in double figures scoring in the rout including Crawford, Jason Love, Kenny Frease, and Mark Lyons. It was also a record-setting day for several Musketeers besides Crawford.
On the interior, the Muskies received strong performances. XU senior Love recorded a double-double for the second straight game. He scored 14 points on 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line to go along with a career-high 15 rebounds.
Frease added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting while reeling in four rebounds in an efficient 16 minutes of action. Junior Jamel McLean contributed eight points and a career-high 13 rebounds as well.
At he guard position, besides Crawford’s record-setting offensive explosion, redshirt freshman guard Lyons came off the bench to chip in career highs of 12 points and four assists. Not to be outdone, fellow point guard Holloway turned in an eight point and four assist effort.
As a team, the Musketeers shot 56.7 percent from the field (38-of-67) including 55 percent from behind the arc (11-of-20).
The game marked the seventh time that Xavier has scored 100 or more points in consecutive games. The last time this occurred was in the 2007-08 season, when the team scored 103 and 108 against Kansas State and Virginia, respectively.
For as impressive as Xavier was on offense, the team's defense was equally as instrumental – particularly early in the game. Xavier exhibited great energy on the defensive front, snatching 10 steals from the Pioneers.
The Musketeers also held the usually proficient shooting Sacred Heart to just 21-of-61 from the field for 34.4 percent. This defensive effort helped Xavier establish a large margin early in the game.
Xavier now leaves the friendly confines of Cintas Center for Disney World as the team is set to participate in the Old Spice Classic during the upcoming holiday week
The Muskies will face off against Marquette (3-0) in opening round action on Turkey Day, Thursday, November 26. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando. The contest will be televised on ESPN2.
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