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Muskies Slump Against Vandy
12/7/2012
 | | Dee Davis calls a play as he brings the ball up court.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |  | | Justin Martin gets fouled as he puts up a shot.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |  | | Isaiah Philmore fights to get a shot off against tough defense.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |  | | Travis Taylor goes strong to the basket for two points.[enlarge] Photo by Bob Stevens |
In a game they should have won, the Xavier Musketeers looked like the inexperienced team that they ultimately are. Up by 13 at one point, Xavier never put Vanderbilt away, as the Commodores roared back to win 66-64 in overtime.
Xavier (6-2) has already faced its share of adversity this season, including a loss to Pacific in Anaheim. But a loss to Vanderbilt (3-4), a team that lost by 17 to Marist at a neutral site, at Cintas is nothing short of brutal.
From the very get go, there were signs that things might not go the Musketeers' way on Thursday night. The Commodores hit their first four shots, including a pair of threes. But Dee Davis and Brad Redford both hit early threes, while Travis Taylor got things going on the low block.
Despite no production (again) from Jeff Robinson and some very sloppy play, including a few times where Justin Martin failed to just hold onto the ball, the Musketeers went into the locker room up 33-27 at halftime.
The Musketeers seemingly blew the game open quickly in the second half, with three point plays by Martin and Taylor to push the lead to 43-30. Vanderbilt then proceeded to go on a 17-4 run over the next eight minutes to tie the game at 47.
The Xavier defense, which played pretty well in the first half and to open the second, was shredded by Kyle Fuller and Kedren Johnson, as they put the Commodores on their back.
The real killer, however, were pour fouls on Semaj Christon, who was playing a pretty good game again, and Martin. They both picked up their fourth fouls late in the second half, hampering the offensive productivity.
That left it to Taylor (15 points, 4 rebounds) and Isaiah Philmore (11 points, 10 rebounds) to do much of the heavy lifting. With the game tied at 54, Martin missed a jumper, but Philmore secured the rebound with 36 seconds to go. Xavier, however, failed to get off a good shot and Vanderbilt forced overtime.
Fuller would score all 12 of Vanderbilt's points in overtime, finishing with 25 for the game. Johnson added in 19, as the Commodores' two best players single-handedly beat the Musketeers.
It was a back and forth affair in overtime, although Vanderbilt ultimately pulled away. The sloppy Xavier offense failed to get much going (2 of 6 shooting in overtime), which was ultimately further hampered by Christon fouling out and Martin falling hard to the court. He would leave the game and ultimately be diagnosed with a concussion.
Poor shot selection and inconsistent play defined Xavier's performance (39.1% shooting in the second half, after shooting 53.8% in the first), a microcosm of the season. Redford was just 2 of 6 on three pointers, while Davis was 2 of 9 shooting overall, in 37 minutes. That's unacceptable. So is Robinson's awful play, as he totaled just 14 minutes and 1 point (a free throw in overtime).
Xavier's stars continued their maturation, with Martin scoring 13 on a highly efficient 5 of 7 shooting. He needs to look for his shot early and often, as he might be the best pure scorer on the team. Christon showcased his skills, coming up with an underhand scoop layup and a couple pull up jumpers on drives. He finished with 12 points and 5 assists.
The Musketeers will look to rebound against Kent State on Sunday afternoon at Cintas.
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