AP Photo

March 22, 2009 | AP Press

BOISE, Idaho — B.J. Raymond scored 15 points and Xavier finally broke through Wisconsin’s defense midway through the second half, pulling away to a 60-49 victory Sunday in the second round of the East Regional.

The Musketeers (27-7) struggled as the Badgers controlled the pace for the first 30 minutes, before Xavier pulled away with a 13-4 run and hung onto the lead from the foul line.

Wisconsin (20-13) kept Xavier off balance, but the tight defense wasn’t quite enough to overcome 29 percent shooting. The Badgers were just 16-for-56 from the floor and made three of 20 3-point attempts.

Marcus Landry scored 18 and Trevon Hughes had 17 points for the Badgers.

Derrick Brown added 15 points and C.J. Anderson pulled down eight rebounds for fourth-seeded Xavier, which will play in Boston on Thursday despite the sloppy performance — the Musketeers were 18-for-46 from the floor and just 18-for-26 from the foul line.

Wisconsin patiently worked the shot clock and even led by a point with about 9:10 remaining before the Musketeers cracked through.

Dante Jackson hit two free throws to give Xavier a 38-37 lead with 8:57 left, starting the 13-4 run that put the Badgers away. After Jackson’s foul shots, Jamel McLean blocked a shot by Landry, then ran down to the other end and took a pass from Terrell Holloway for a two-handed dunk and a 40-37 lead with about 8:30 left.

McLean had another power dunk that put Xavier up 44-39 with 6:06 remaining, and after Landry answered with a dunk for Wisconsin, Jackson banked in a shot and Raymond hit a 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 49-41 — the largest of the game to that point.

Tim Jarmusz hit a 3-pointer for the Badgers, but Kenny Frease got a layup to roll in and Brown hit two free throws for a 53-44 lead with only 1:42 remaining.

Xavier didn’t make field goal for the first three minutes of the second half — even a dunk attempt by Love bounced off the rim — as the Badgers opened with a 6-1 run. Hughes scored on a reverse layup for the first points of the half, then spun 360 degrees for another layup that put Wisconsin up 33-26 and prompted a time out by Xavier with 17:15 left in the game.

Wisconsin led 27-25 after an ugly first half that was just fine with the Badgers, who slowed the game by working the shot clock and keeping the Musketeers from getting any transition opportunities. Xavier was 8-for-23 in the half, only slightly better than Wisconsin’s 8-for-24 performance.

Hughes missed seven of his first eight shots, but made all eight of his free throws and had 10 points at halftime. Xavier committed eight turnovers in the first 20 minutes and didn’t score for the first four minutes of the game.

AP Photo

March 12, 2009 | AP Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — B.J. Raymond had 18 points to lead No. 19 Xavier to a 66-47 victory over Saint Louis in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 championship on Thursday.

C.J. Anderson added 15 points and Jason Love had 10 for top-seeded Xavier (25-6, 13-4). The Musketeers meet the winner of Thursday’s second quarterfinal between fourth-seeded Temple and fifth-seeded Saint Joseph’s on Friday night.

Kevin Lisch had 13 points to lead the ninth-seeded Billikens (18-14, 8-9), and Willie Reed added 10.

Xavier used a 14-0 run spanning 4:28 of both halves to take control of the game.

Raymond banked in a 30-footer at the first-half buzzer to cap a 7-0 spurt that gave the Musketeers a 35-25 lead.

Xavier then opened the second half by scoring the first seven points to take a 42-25 lead with 17:30 left.

St. Louis never got closer than 14 the rest of the way.

March 9, 2009 | Atlantic 10 Website

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Saint Joseph’s senior forward Ahmad Nivins has been named the 2008-09 Atlantic 10 men’s basketball Player of the Year in voting conducted among the Conference’s 14 head coaches.

The A-10 coaches also selected Andrew Nicholson of St. Bonaventure as the Rookie of the Year, Duquesne’s Aaron Jackson as the Chris Daniels Award recipient as the league’s most improved player, Delroy James of Rhode Island as Sixth Man of the Year, Massachusetts’ Tony Gaffney as Defensive Player of the Year and Rhode Island’s Jim Baron as Coach of the Year. In addition, Kevin Lisch of Saint Louis was tabbed Student-Athlete of the Year in voting among the league’s sports information directors.

Ahmad Nivins – Saint Joseph’s Hawks (F)

Nivins enters this week’s Atlantic 10 Championship (Mar. 11-14) in Atlantic City tied with Temple’s Dionte Christmas for the scoring lead with an average of 19.2 ppg. A third-team selection a year ago, the 6-9 forward from Jersey City, N.J., leads the Conference in rebounding (11.7 rpg.), minutes (39.43 mpg.) and double-doubles (20), while his league-best .625 shooting percentage (193-of-309) puts him on pace to join former George Washington standout Alexander Koul (1995-97) as the only players in A-10 history to lead the league in field goal percentage three consecutive years. A member of the All-Defensive Team, Nivins is the fourth player in SJU annals to earn the league’s Player of the Year honor and first since sharpshooter Pat Carroll in 2004-05.

A five-time Player of the Week selection this season, Nivins is joined on the All- Conference first-team by Christmas, Jimmy Baron of Rhode Island, Aaron Jackson of Duquesne and Xavier’s B.J. Raymond. Christmas is vying to become the league’s first-ever three-time scoring champion, while James is the first Duquesne player to garner first-team distinction since Mike James in 1997-98. The All-Conference second-team consists of Gaffney, Richmond’s Kevin Anderson, Derrick Brown of Xavier, Rodney Green of La Salle and Dayton’s Chris Wright. The third-team includes Lisch, Lavoy Allen of Temple, Massachusetts’ Ricky Harris, Lamont Mack of Charlotte and Rhode Island’s Kahiem Seawright.

Xavier’s C.J. Anderson, David Gonzalvez of Richmond, Dayton’s Marcus Johnson, Chris Lowe of UMass, and Damian Saunders of Duquesne earned honorable mention acclaim.

A program-record six-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection, Nicholson enters this week’s A-10 Championship as the top freshman nationally in both blocked shots (79) and field goal percentage (.607 – 150-of-246). The Mississauga, Ontario, native is tied for second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg.) and third in rebounding (6.0 rpg.) and scored in double figures in 20 of the Bonnies’ 29 contests. The 6-9 forward is the first SBU freshman to garner Rookie of the Year honors since Alvin Lott in 1983-84.

Nicholson is joined on the All-Rookie team by Melquan Bolding of Duquesne, Fordham’s Jio Fontan, Dayton’s Chris Johnson and Kwamain Mitchell of Saint Louis.

With 113 blocks and 59 steals entering Massachusetts’ opening round contest versus Duquesne on Mar. 11, Gaffney is the first player nationally since Shelden Williams (Duke, 2005-06) to register 100 blocks and 50 steals in a season. The senior forward leads the A-10 in blocks (3.90 bpg.), ranks second in rebounding (10.2 rpg.) and steals (2.03 spg.) and pulled down at least 10 rebounds in 18 of the Minutemen’s 29 games.

The All-Defensive team is comprised of Gaffney, Allen, Nivins, Dayton’s London Warren and Garrett Williamson of Saint Joseph’s.

Jackson was tabbed the Atlantic 10’s Chris Daniels Award, presented to the Conference’s most improved player. A year ago, the Hartford, Conn., resident averaged nine points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists. This season, the senior guard has blossomed into one of the most complete players in the Conference, ranking in the top five of the league in scoring (third – 18.3 ppg.), assists (third – 5.79 apg.), field goal percentage (fourth – .543) and steals (fifth – 1.72 spg.). The versatile James has provided a spark off the bench for the Rams as a junior, averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in just 24.2 minutes per game. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native ranks third on the team in assists (65) and has a pair of 20-point performances to his credit.

A two-time Academic All-Conference selection, Lisch is averaging a team-leading 14.2 points and also leads the Billikens in three-pointers (69) and steals (37) en route to earning All-Conference honors for the second consecutive year. In the classroom, the Belleville, Ill., resident boasts a 3.48 grade point average while majoring in Business Administration. He was named to the 2008-09 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine All-America third-team.

Joining Lisch on the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team is Baron, Massachusetts’ Luke Bonner, Jason Duty of Duquesne and La Salle’s Yves Mekongo Mbala.

Selected by the league’s head coaches and media to finish ninth in the A-10 preseason poll, Baron led Rhode Island to an 11-5 league mark and 22-9 overall record. URI enters the Championship as the second seed and boasts the league’s highest scoring offense, averaging 80.1 ppg. The only coach in league history to earn A-10 Coach of the Year honors at two different schools, Baron was tabbed as the Conference’s Coach of the Year in 1995 while at St. Bonaventure and at Rhode Island in both 2003 and 2007. In eight seasons at URI, Baron is 130-116 (.528) and 336-318 overall (.514).

2008-09 ATLANTIC 10 MEN’S BASKETBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS First-Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown PPG RPG Asts Stls Blks

First-Team

Jimmy Baron Rhode Island Sr. G. 6-3 East Grennwich, R.I. 16.8 2.7 60 22 2
Dionte Christmas Temple Sr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. 19.2 6.1 88 41 5
Aaron Jackson Duquesne Sr. G 6-4 Hartford, Conn. 18.3 5.7 168 50 3
Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph’s Sr. F 6-9 Jersey City, N.J.     19.2 11.7 32 19 55
B.J. Raymond Xavier Sr. G/F 6-6 Toledo, Ohio 13.8 4.2 46 17 12 

Second-Team

Kevin Anderson Richmond So. G 5-11 Duluth, Ga. 16.2 2.9 82 44 2
Derrick Brown Xavier Jr. F 6-8 Dayton, Ohio 13.8 6.1 61 21 28
Tony Gaffney Massachusetts Sr. F 6-8 Berkley, Mass. 11.5 10.2 49 59 113
Rodney Green La Salle Jr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. 17.6 4.9 105 56 5
Chris Wright Dayton So. F 6-8 Trotwood, Ohio 13.1 6.5 29 28 37  

Third-Team

Lavoy Allen Temple So. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 11.1 8.6 62 13 48
Ricky Harris Massachusetts Jr. G 6-2 Baltimore, Md. 18.2 2.9 44 37 5
Kevin Lisch Saint Louis Sr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. 14.2 3.4 75 37 1
Lamont Mack Charlotte Sr. F 6-7 Chicago, Ill. 15.1 5.6 27 24 10
Kahiem Seawright Rhode Island Sr. F 6-8 Uniondale, N.Y. 13.8 7.4 68 25 31

Honorable Mention

C.J. Anderson Xavier Sr. G/F 6-6 Cincinnati, Ohio 10.2 5.6 68 19 17
David Gonzalvez Richmond Jr. G 6-4 Marietta, Ga. 15.6 4.6 59 39 14
Marcus Johnson Dayton Jr. G 6-3 Cleveland, Ohio 12.1 3.2 50 26 15
Chris Lowe Massachusetts Sr. G 6-0 Mount Vernon, N.Y. 12.1 3.0 190 22 2
Damian Saunders Duquesne So. F 6-7 Waterbury, Conn. 13.3 7.9 66 66 66 

Rookie Team

Melquan Bolding Duquesne Fr. G/F 6-4 Mount Vernon, N.Y. 9.0 4.1 34 28 6
Jio Fontan Fordham Fr. G 5-11 Patterson, N.J. 15.3 2.7 132 33 3
Chris Johnson Dayton Fr. G/F 6-5 Columbus, Ohio 6.5 5.4 18 17 5
Kwamain Mitchell Saint Louis Fr. G 5-10 Milwaukee, Wis. 10.0 3.2 106 35 1
Andrew Nicholson St. Bonaventure Fr. F 6-9 Mississauga, Ontario 12.5 6.0 7 79 16 

Defensive Team

Lavoy Allen Temple So. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 11.1 8.6 62 13 48
Tony Gaffney Massachusetts Sr. F 6-8 Berkley, Mass. 11.5 10.2 49 59 113
Ahmad Nivins Saint Joseph’s Sr. F 6-9 Jersey City, N.J.     19.2 11.7 32 19 55
London Warren Dayton Jr. G 6-0 Jacksonville, Fla. 4.2 2.7 126 48 4
Garrett Williamson Saint Joseph’s Jr. G 6-5 Lower Merion, Pa. 5.9 3.7 135 43 36

Academic Team

Jimmy Baron Rhode Island Sr. G 6-3 East Greenwich, R.I. Communication Studies
Luke Bonner Massachusetts Gr. C 7-1 Concord, N.H. Sports Management
Jason Duty Duquesne Jr. G 6-1 Cranberry Township, Pa. Accounting
Kevin Lisch Saint Louis Sr. G 6-2 Belleville, Ill. Business Administration
Yves Mekongo Mbala La Salle Jr. F 6-7 Elizabeth, N.J. Integrated Science & Business Technology

Player of the Year: Ahmad Nivins, Saint Joseph’s

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure

Defensive Player of the Year: Tony Gaffney, Massachusetts

Chris Daniels Most Improved Player of the Year: Aaron Jackson, Duquesne

Sixth Man of the Year: Delroy James, Rhode Island

Student-Athlete of the Year: Kevin Lisch, Saint Louis

Coach of the Year: Jim Baron, Rhode Island

AP Photo

February 22, 2009 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH – C.J. Anderson didn’t even take a shot in the first half, when Xavier’s perimeter game was more than enough. After halftime, he went back to threading his way through defenders and scoring.

Anderson scored 14 points in the second half, leading five players in double figures, and the Musketeers (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) rolled to a 71-53 victory Sunday that moved them back into first place in the Atlantic 10.

“That was an important game for this team,” Anderson said. “Coach [Sean] Miller wanted us as seniors to play better and set the tone. I didn’t play well in the first half, but I came back and played better in the second half.”

The Musketeers (22-5, 10-3) steadied themselves after yet another road loss and moved a half-game ahead of Dayton (No. 25 AP) for the conference lead. Ranked for the first time this season, the Flyers lost at Saint Louis 57-49 on Saturday night.

There were more immediate concerns for the Musketeers, who had lost three of their last four games, all on the road. They needed to rebuild confidence fast. George Washington (8-16, 2-10) was the perfect matchup.

Damian Hollis scored 15 points for the Colonials, who fell behind 26-8 and trailed by as many as 25 points. George Washington shot 38.6 percent from the field and had 17 turnovers.

“We wanted to get back to the basics, and we did a good job,” said B.J. Raymond, who had 12 points. “We played about 30 minutes of good defense. That’s a step in the right direction.”

Xavier plays at Saint Joseph’s on Thursday, then has a week off to prepare for its home-court rematch with Dayton, which has lost its last 23 games in Cincinnati. Xavier has won the last two regular-season titles.

The Musketeers’ recent struggles have underscored their need for a dependable point guard. Terrell Holloway has regressed lately, playing like the true freshman he is. Holloway has passed up open shots on the perimeter and repeatedly gotten shots swatted away on drives to the basket, contributing little to Xavier’s halfcourt offense.

The slump prompted Miller to make a switch at the position, moving shooting guard Dante Jackson into the role. In the last three games, Holloway had come off the bench and gone 1-for-14 from the field with two points, two assists and three turnovers.

With 7-foot reserve center Kenny Frease also limited by a sprained ankle, Xavier’s offense has taken a hit.

It didn’t much matter against George Washington, which was so focused on limiting Xavier’s bigger front line that it let the conference’s best 3-point shooters get open behind the arc. Xavier made six 3s while taking a 26-8 lead, the last one by Holloway from the right corner. Holloway finished with three points on 1-of-4 shooting and two assists.

Colonials coach Karl Hobbs stayed in his crouch, staring blankly at the opposite end of the court, while his players gathered behind him during a timeout with 10:25 left in the first half. At that point, what’s left for a coach to say? Xavier’s versatility was too much.

“They’re always going to have four guys on the court who are capable of scoring 18 to 20 points on any given night,” Hobbs said. “The thing I like about them is they all have their roles and they know what they are.”

George Washington was coming off its biggest win of the season, 90-62 over St. Bonaventure. Rob Diggs scored a season-high 26 points in that one. Playing a ranked team for the first time this season, the Colonials fell apart. Diggs went 1-for-5 with two points and four fouls.

AP Photo

February 11, 2009 | AP Press

DAYTON, Ohio — Chris Wright led a balanced offense with 19 points, and Dayton ended its six-game losing streak against No. 14 Xavier with a 71-58 victory Wednesday night in one of the Atlantic 10’s marquee matchups of the season.

Using its depth and balance to full advantage, Dayton (22-3, 8-2) led the entire game against the defending two-time conference champions, who now have to work to make it three in a row.

Xavier (20-4, 8-2) has lost back-to-back games for the second time this season, denting the Musketeers’ chances of a high seed in the NCAA tournament. The regular-season A10 title is now up in the air, too. The southwest Ohio rivals play again on March 5 in Cincinnati, where Dayton has lost its last 23 games since 1981.

Wright scored the last nine points for Dayton, which had lost to the Musketeers six times in the last two years. Dayton joined Duke as the only teams to shoot 50 percent from the field against Xavier, which got 17 points from Derrick Brown.

Both teams were coming off upset losses on the road set up by lackluster defense. There was no letting up Wednesday in the most-played rivalry for both teams.

Dayton suffered a setback to its pressure defense when guard Rob Lowery hurt his right knee midway through the first half and didn’t return. He went down hard after getting off a shot in a crowd of defenders, and cradled his knee for several minutes. He didn’t put any weight on the leg as he was helped off.

Lowery is a key to Dayton’s pressure defense, which is the stingiest in the Atlantic 10. It made its mark in the opening minutes, helping the Flyers pull ahead and set a tone.

Xavier turned the ball over on its first three possessions — C.J. Anderson drew two charging fouls, and the Musketeers had a shot clock violation. Dayton took advantage by pulling ahead 8-1. The Flyers led by as many as eight in the half, turning back a couple of Xavier rallied that cut the lead to one.

With Lowery out, sophomore guard Stephen Thomas got an opportunity to play more than usual. Thomas, who hadn’t scored in the last seven games, hit a floating jumper and free throw in the closing minutes of the half, putting Dayton up 33-28 at the intermission.

The Flyers’ problems deepened when point guard London Warren picked up his third foul only 13 seconds into the second half. Still, Xavier had a hard time taking advantage and putting together a run that would get them a lead. A pair of 3s by Wright helped the Flyers extend the lead to 47-39 while Warren was on the bench.

Marcus Johnson made a driving basket and a 3-pointer, and Wright followed with a jumper in traffic that pushed the lead to 64-50 with 5:26 to go. Xavier never got closer than 10 the rest of the way.

January 31, 2009 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH – Derrick Brown matched his career high with 23 points Saturday, and No. 10 Xavier used its balance and free-throw shooting to hold on for an 82-80 victory over Massachusetts, its 10th straight win.

B.J. Raymond added 22 points and C.J. Anderson had 19 for the Musketeers (19-2, 7-0), who remained unbeaten atop the Atlantic 10. This one was in doubt down to the final rebound. Anderson got that off Chris Lowe’s purposely missed free throw with 3 seconds left.

UMass (7-12, 2-4) set a pedal-to-the-metal pace on offense and kept it a game by forcing Xavier into a season-high 23 turnovers, but couldn’t break through in the closing minutes. Ricky Harris led the Minutemen with 17 points.

The shot clock rarely came into play in a fast-paced game of catch the ball and shoot — a pace that suits UMass but not the Musketeers. Brown, Raymond and Anderson were a combined 24-for-32 from the field, and made the biggest plays in the closing minutes.

The Minutemen stayed in the game by exploiting Xavier’s biggest weakness — a propensity for sloppy passes. UMass scored three straight baskets off turnovers early in the second half. Harris had a driving layup and a 3-pointer, and Lowe had a steal and layup that tied it at 58 with 11 minutes left.

There were three ties and six lead changes down the stretch, with neither team ahead by more than three points until the final minute. Raymond’s 3 and Anderson’s putback put Xavier ahead to stay, 78-74 with 53 seconds left.

Harris responded with a 3-pointer, then missed another one with 10 seconds to go. Raymond got the rebound and made both free throws for an 80-77 lead. Brown added two free throws.

Rather than let Lowe try to take a 3-pointer that would tie it, Xavier fouled him with 3 seconds left. He made the first and, after a timeout, missed the second, hoping UMass could get a tying putback. The ball was slapped around and Anderson came down with it.

The points piled up fast in the first half. UMass hit nine of its first 13 shots, while Xavier went 9-of-14. It didn’t take either team long to find an open shot and make it.

Xavier’s player with the can’t-miss touch temporarily took over the game.

Brown had a game this season when he didn’t miss, going 6-for-6 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in a win over Saint Louis on Jan. 8. He made his first eight shots on Saturday, including a 3-pointer that started Xavier’s nine-point run in the first half.

His three-point play off a driving dunk made it 41-31 with 2:52 left in the half, the biggest lead of the game. Xavier shot 68 percent in the first half against one of the conference’s worst perimeter defenses.

January 28, 2009 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH – B.J. Raymond scored 23 points, Kenny Frease added 17 points and No. 10 Xavier beat Charlotte 69-47 on Wednesday night for its ninth straight win.

C.J. Anderson had 10 points for Xavier (18-2, 6-0 A-10), which limited the 49ers to just four field goals in the first half. The Musketeers outrebounded Charlotte 48-28.

Xavier improved to 6-0 all-time against Charlotte. The Musketeers have not lost since Dec. 23 when No. 13 Butler beat them 75-64 at Cintas Center.

Charlotte (6-13, 1-5 A-10) was led by senior Charlie Coley who scored 12 points.

It was a rough 24 hours for Charlotte, who had its initial flight into Cincinnati canceled due to Tuesday’s winter storm. The 49ers flew to Dayton late Tuesday, then endured a two-hour bus ride Wednesday on icy roads before arriving at Cintas Center just before their shoot-a-round. Under normal conditions, the drive to Cincinnati would take 45 minutes.

Charlotte missed its first six shots as the Musketeers raced to a 7-0 lead.

The 49ers attempted to rally behind senior Lamont Mack, who scored the 49ers’ first seven points.

Mack, who matched his season high of 23 points in three of the past four games, had three of Charlotte’s four field goals in the first half. He finished with 11 points.

Raymond and Dante Jackson hit consecutive 3-pointers to put Xavier ahead 18-7 with six minutes remaining in the first half.

Five straight points from Frease, including a one-handed dunk off a pass from Terrell Holloway, gave the Musketeers a 26-11 lead.

Xavier’s defense limited Charlotte to just 16.7 percent shooting (4-for-24) and forced eight turnovers in the first half.

Frease, playing his first game since being named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week, matched Raymond’s 10 points lifting the Musketeers to a 31-13 halftime lead.

A 3-point play by Frease gave Xavier its largest lead, 34-14 early in the second half.

Raymond’s fourth 3-pointer put the Musketeers ahead 44-23 with 13:08 remaining.

Charlotte forward An’Juan Wilderness, who was listed as questionable Wednesday after missing five of the past six games with a stress fracture in his foot, did not play.

January 21, 2009 | AP Press

OLEAN, N.Y. — C.J. Anderson scored 15 points and Xavier (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP), off to the second-best start in school history, beat St. Bonaventure 84-64 on Wednesday night.

Backup guard Brad Redford hit his first three 3-point attempts to spark a decisive first-half run and finished with 14 points for Xavier (16-2, 5-0 Atlantic 10). The Musketeers, who have won seven straight since losing consecutive games to Duke and Butler, are off to their best start since going 24-2 in 1989-90.

Freshman forward Andrew Nicholson scored 13 for St. Bonaventure (11-7, 2-3), which has lost four in a row at home. Maurice Thomas added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Bonnies, who have lost eight straight to the Musketeers and 13 in a row against ranked opponents.

The Musketeers improved to 17-1 against conference opponents dating to last season, and are closing in on their 13th 20-win season in 14 years, and fourth straight.

Ahead 23-20, the Musketeers took control during the final 4 minutes of the first half by outscoring the poor-shooting Bonnies 18-2. The run was capped by Terrell Holloway, who hit an open 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Xavier finally found its offensive rhythm, courtesy of a fast-paced transition game, which took advantage of St. Bonaventure missing 11 of its final 14 attempts of the half. And it wasn’t as if Xavier’s tough defense was all that dominant, because the Bonnies missed several open looks outside and shots from in close.

Xavier’s defense, which is limiting opponents to 37 percent shooting, did have its moments.

The turning point came with just under 4 minutes left in the first half when Anderson blocked Jonathan Hall’s shot from the paint, leading directly to Redford hitting a 3-pointer on the break to give Xavier a 29-20 lead. The rout was on a few minutes later when, during a 26-second span, Jason Love hit a hook shot from the paint and Dante’ Jackson a 3 in transition.

After hitting four of its first six attempts, St. Bonaventure went cold, finishing 21-of-50 from the field.

The resurgent Bonnies, who have already won their most games since 2001-02, lacked the bodies and veteran talent to keep up with the deep Musketeers. Starting point guard Malcolm Eleby got into early foul trouble and played only 10 minutes in the first half. The Bonnies were already without his backup, dependable Ray Blackburn, who missed his second consecutive game and is out indefinitely with a torn knee ligament.

January 15, 2009 | AP Press

KINGSTON, R.I. — Xavier (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 15 AP) hung on to avoid an upset at the hands of Rhode Island for one simple reason.

“We are a really good defensive team, that’s why we were able to win this game,” coach Sean Miller said after the Musketeers hung on for a 67-65 win Thursday night.

Derrick Brown had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Musketeers (14-2, 3-0 Atlantic 10), and C.J. Anderson had 11 points and seven rebounds.

“We were fortunate to win the game,” Miller said. “URI took us out of our rhythm.”

Xavier shot 38.9 percent from the field, its lowest since a 36.4 percentage in a 76-66 win over Cincinnati on Dec. 13.

The Musketeers, who held their last five opponents under 40 percent shooting from the floor, kept Rhode Island (11-6, 0-2) to 37.1 percent and out-rebounded the Rams 48-36.

“It’s tough to win a game like this when you are outrebounded,” said the Rams’ Jimmy Baron, who scored 19 points in Rhode Island’s first home loss this season. After finishing 0-for-7 from the field against Xavier last February, he was 7-17, including 5-11 from 3-point range.

Baron’s jumper with 3:51 to go gave the Rams their final lead of the night at 61-59, and Dante Jackson’s 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining put Xavier in front the rest of the way.

“Down the stretch it’s going to come down to a half-court game and we need to find guys in right position at the right time to score the basketball,” Baron said.

Kahiem Seawright’s jumper for Rhode Island with one minute to go in the first half sent the teams into intermission tied at 34.

Anderson’s surge put Xavier back in front 43-36.

Rhode Island regained the edge 50-48 on Delroy James’ 3-point shot from the corner with 9:54 remaining. Then Terrell Holloway hit a pair of free throws that tied it again at 50. Xavier’s biggest lead of the game at nine points came with 15:27 left in the second half.

James had 14 points for Rhode Island, and Keith Cothran added 11.

Rhode Island hasn’t beaten a nationally ranked opponent since a 70-63 win over No. 25 Utah on Dec. 2, 1998. Thursday’s loss was the Rams’ 15th consecutive defeat against ranked teams.

“We fought hard and fought long,” Rams coach Jimmy Baron said.

January 11, 2008 | AP Press

NEW YORK, NY – Xavier looked really good for a half before Fordham came up with a sensational five minutes. Then the Musketeers (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) went back to being themselves for another easy win.

B.J. Raymond scored 18 points to lead six Xavier players in double figures in an 86-60 victory over the Rams on Sunday.

“All in all it was a good road win for our team. If there is such a thing as a hard-fought 26-point victory, this was it,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “We had to win twice. We got the big lead, took a punch and responded again.”

It was the fourth straight victory for Xavier (13-2, 2-0 Atlantic 10) following its only losses to Duke and Butler.

The Musketeers shot a season-best 53.8 percent from the field (28-for-52) and finished with a 45-29 rebound advantage.

Derrick Brown scored 14 points, Jason Love 13, Terrell Holloway and Brad Redford had 11 each and C.J. Anderson added 10 for the Musketeers, who have beaten Fordham five straight times and are 17-3 all-time against the Rams and 15-1 since the 1995-96 season.

“We were composed. Our young guys have to learn these things can happen, especially on the road,” Brown said. “We hit them back with a pretty good punch in the mouth.”

Alberto Estwick had 20 points for Fordham (2-12, 0-2), which has lost five straight games.

Xavier led 45-30 at halftime but the Rams had their one hot streak of the game, hitting four 3-pointers in an 18-4 run that had them within 49-48 with 15:21 to play. Estwick hit three of the 3s and Mike Moore had the other in the run that forced Miller to call two timeouts before the first media timeout of the half.

The Musketeers extended their defense and the open 3-point shots were suddenly gone.

Xavier scored 10 straight points as part of a 23-3 run that gave the Musketeers a 72-51 lead with 7:05 left.

“It does happen on the road and I told them that and it was no time to worry,” Miller relayed about what he said to the team in the two timeouts. “We didn’t panic, kept our composure. We weren’t different. We were the same team and our defense started to come around. That was an excellent performance in a brief period of time by Fordham. It shows the 3-point shot can sure turn a game quickly.”

The biggest lead was 86-57 on a three-point play by Holloway with 10 seconds to go.

“I wish we could have stopped game after 25 minutes and said we won,” Fordham coach Dereck Whittenburg said with a smile. “They have a great, great team and they showed you why. We brought the game back but we need some experience out there and have to execute and they showed you why. You make mistakes, they capitalize and it’s like a faucet running and you can’t stop it.”

Xavier’s best shooting game had been 53.5 percent (23-for-43) in an 81-74 victory over Auburn on Dec. 3.

Fordham was 3-for-16 from 3-point range in the first half and finished at 10-for-28, including the 4-for-4 start to the second half. The Rams entered the game 13th in the 14-team conference in 3-point shooting at 29.9 percent Xavier was fourth in 3-point percentage defense at 32. percent.

“They hit 10 3s and if we don’t have answers like we do that could have been enough to win a game,” Miller said.

Jio Fontan, the Atlantic 10’s leading freshman scorer with a 14.1 average finished with 10 points and 11 assists for the Rams but he was 3-for-14 from the field overall, including 0-for-7 in the second half when he committed five of his six turnovers.

Miller called Fontan as “talented as any freshman guard in the country.”

Whittenburg said Fontan was “trying to be aggressive.”

“But sometimes when the game gets in the balance you start taking quick shots and make a mistake and before you know it, you’ve gone from down one to down 10 and all of a sudden it’s 15,” Whittenburg said. “We’ll stay with it. We’re young and as lopsided as it looked, we had a chance with 15 minutes to go.”

The loss was the 46th straight to a ranked team for Fordham, which is 6-88 all-time against ranked teams. The last time the Rams beat a ranked team was Feb. 26, 1978, a 63-59 victory over No. 18 Georgetown.