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X Bounces Back Against Kent St
By
Jay Skeldon,
12/4/2009
 | Jordan Crawford buries one of his career high five, three-pointers on the way to leading the Musketeers in scoring with 21 points.
[enlarge]Photo by Bob Stevens |  | /tr> Sophomore Terrell Holloway gets free along the baseline for a reverse layup.[enlarge]
by Bob Stevens |  | Jason Love rejects a Kent State shot for one of Xavier’s season high eight blocks for the game.[enlarge]
Photo by Bob Stevens |  | After driving past the defense, junior Jamel McLean, slams home two points.[enlarge]
Photo by Bob Stevens |
Xavier struggled as the Orlando woes appeared to carry over into the first 10 minutes action against Kent State on Friday night. But, the team came together with a turned up defensive effort and solid offensive showing, as X knocked off Kent, 77-61, at Cintas Center. Sophomore guard Jordan Crawford led the way for the X-Men, scoring a game-high 21 points on career-bests of 8-of-13 from the field including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. With the win, Xavier gets back on the winning track and improves to 5-2 on the season, while Kent State drops to 5-2.
After trailing by as many as 12 points to the Golden Flashes in the first half, the Musketeers reverted to pre-Orlando form, sharing the basketball well and playing tough defense. Rodriquez Sherman dropped in a layup with 6:44 left in the first half to move KSU in front, 29-17.
Xavier then made its move, reeling off a 17-7 run to close out the first half and take its first lead of the game, 36-34. The team got back into the game through fundamentals -- getting dirty on the floor after loose balls, preventing dribble drives into the paint, and getting out on the break and finding the open man.
In the second half, Xavier did not relinquish the lead and steadily played add-on to finish with a 17 point victory.
As a team, Xavier benefited from the ball movement, extra passes, and dribble penetration at appropriate times. The team was able to shoot higher percentage shots and it showed up on the stat sheet.
The Musketeers shot the ball superbly, converting 27-of-47 of its shots from the field for 57.4 percent. XU also hit 9-of-20 from long range for 45 percent. Finally, the team converted when it got to the line, making 14-of-20 free throws for 70 percent.
Crawford was clearly the best player on the court. He not only shot the ball well from the outside, but was also active in other areas which helped open the court for his teammates. He pulled down four rebounds to go with three assists in 30 minutes of action.
Joining Crawford in double-digits was sophomore guard Terrell Holloway, who recorded 13 points, five assists, and three steals. Holloway was brilliant at the point guard position and led the offense like a floor general. Backup point guard Mark Lyons added six points, four assists, and three rebounds off the bench.
After being outrebounded by one in the first half, Xavier closed that gap and more in the second half. The team finished with a 36-30 rebounding advantage over the Golden Flashes. Jason Love, who scored 10 points, led the effort on the glass for XU with 10 rebounds. That marks the fourth time in seven games that Love has notched a double-double.
Other top scorers for the Muskies included Dante Jackson (9 points, 2 assists), Jamel McLean (8 points, 7 rebounds), Brad Redford (8 points on 3-of-7 from 3-pt land).
Leading the way for Kent State were Justin Greene and Mike McKee who scored 13 points apiece in the losing effort.
After a one-game homecoming, the Musketeers head back on the road for a Tuesday night tilt against Kansas State from the Big 12. The K-State Wildcats are 6-1 this season and boast wins over Dayton and Boston University. Game time is set for 9:00 p.m. EST at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kansas. The game will be televised by ESPNU.
 |  | Freshman Mark Lyons gets one of his three steals on the night.
[enlarge]Photo by Bob Stevens | Pile-up! Jason Love and Terrell Holloway hang on tight after a scramble on the floor for a loose ball.[enlarge]Photo by Bob Stevens |
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