November 17, 2008 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH — B.J. Raymond scored 18 points, hitting all four of his shots from behind the extended 3-point arc, and Xavier’s young lineup made a dozen early turnovers Monday night before settling down and pulling away to an 81-65 victory over Toledo.

Xavier (2-0) dominated the boards and shut down Toledo’s guards, but kept it close by turning the ball over 12 times in the first 12 minutes. Toledo (0-2) led the Mid-American Conference in steals last season, and had eight overall.

A pair of dunks by Jamel McLean started a 21-4 run that put the Musketeers up 36-19 at halftime. Xavier has held both of its opponents under 20 points in the first half — IPFW managed only 14.

Raymond opened the second half by hitting a pair of shots from behind the arc, which was pushed back a foot this season. Xavier led by as many as 23 before Tyrone Kent led a Rockets rally in the closing minutes. Kent, who led the MAC in scoring last season, had a career-high 37 points, going 11-for-20 from the field.