November 29, 2008 | AP Press

CINCINNATI, OH — Derrick Brown scored a career-high 23 points Saturday, and Xavier (No. 20 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) overcame cold shooting and the loss of another point guard to stay unbeaten with a 60-53 victory over Miami (Ohio).

The Musketeers improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1996-97, when they won their first 10 games. Like most of their games against Miami, this one took on a slog-it-out pace. Xavier pulled it out even though its two points guards were hurt.

Freshman Terrell Holloway suffered a stress fracture in his left foot during the Musketeers’ three wins at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off last week, culminating in their 63-58 win over Memphis. Dante Jackson appeared to pull a leg muscle in the second half Saturday and left with 6:20 to go.

Kenny Hayes scored 19 points for Miami (2-3), which has played nationally ranked teams in three of its first five games. The RedHawks also lost to UCLA 64-59 and Pittsburgh 82-53.

Miami’s extended man-to-man defense gummed up Xavier’s offense from the outset. The Musketeers missed six of their first seven shots, allowing the RedHawks to pull ahead 10-2. Miami led by as many as 11 in the first half, with Xavier off the mark from everywhere on the court. The Musketeers even missed six of their first seven free throws.

Brown made a 3-pointer and four consecutive free throws, snapping Xavier out of its funk. Brown’s free throw with 1:12 left in the half completed a 13-2 run and tied it at 24, but Michael Bramos’ 35-footer at the buzzer put Miami up 27-24 at intermission.

Last season in Oxford, Bramos made three free throws with 6 seconds left, then blocked a shot that preserved Miami’s 59-57 win. On Saturday, he scored 15 points and fouled out with 2:10 to go.

B.J. Raymond missed his first seven shots from behind the arc before connecting with 7:27 to go, putting the Musketeers ahead to stay at 41-38.

Raymond’s free throw gave Xavier a 48-42 lead with 4:58 left. Back-to-back baskets by Bramos got the lead down to one, but Brown made a pair of free throws in a six-point run that blunted the comeback. Then, Brown made two more that pushed it to 59-49 with 37 seconds to go.

Xavier went only 22-of-38 from the free-throw line and 2-of-12 from behind the 3-point arc.

November 23, 2008 | AP Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Terrell Holloway made 10 free throws without a miss and finished with 13 points to help Xavier beat Memphis (No. 12 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) 63-58 on Sunday night in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off championship game.

B.J. Raymond and Jamel McLean added 11 points each for the Musketeers (5-0), and C.J. Anderson finished with 10.

“I’m really proud of our team,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “We really showed a lot of toughness and resiliency in all three games in the tournament.”

Tyreke Evans led Memphis (4-1) with 12 points, but was 4-for-16 from the field. Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson each scored 10 points.

Both teams struggled from the field, with Xavier shooting 36 percent and Memphis finishing at 32.7 percent. Xavier was 25-for-37 at the line, and Memphis was 15-of-30.

“We’re disappointed with the outcome, but November games are about learning about your team. We did tonight,” Memphis coach John Calipari said.

Holloway made two free throws with 27 seconds to go to give Xavier a 61-58 lead. After Dozier missed two three throws with 17 seconds left, Dante’ Jackson and C.J. Anderson hit free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.

“C.J. has great toughness,” Miller said. “He’s an incredible leader. Our team follows his lead, especially in toughness.”

Memphis was 38-2 last season, losing the national title game to Kansas in overtime.

“This year’s team is so different from last year’s team and the year before. What disappointed me were our seniors down the stretch,” Calipari said. “Hopefully, we get better as the season goes on. We had chances to win the game, but didn’t make the plays we needed to make to win. We had some guys that played tentative and not to lose tonight. I want guys to make plays and play to win. I wanted this game to be close.”

Xavier opened the tournament with a 75-71 victory over Missouri, then beat Virginia Tech 63-62 in overtime.

“These were three great tests for us,” Miller said. “All three teams attacked us and we responded.”

November 21, 2008 | AP Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Dante Jackson’s buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt lifted Xavier to a 63-62 win over Virginia Tech in overtime at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off on Friday.

After Virginia Tech went up 62-60 on Jeff Allen’s tip-in with 3 seconds left in overtime, Jackson took the inbounds pass, dribbled a few steps and made his only field goal of game. He had missed his first eight attempts for the Musketeers (4-0).

Derrick Brown led Xavier with 16 points and C.J. Anderson added 13. Kenny Frease added nine points, including two free throws to tie the game 52-all with 2:25 to go in the second half. Neither team scored again in regulation.

Allen led the Hokies (3-1) with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Malcolm Delaney added 15 points, including a 3-pointer with 5:13 left in regulation that gave Virginia Tech a 52-45 lead.

November 20, 2008 | AP Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Terrell Holloway hit 10-of-10 free throws in the second half as Xavier relinquished a halftime lead and had to rally to beat Missouri 75-71 Thursday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off.

Derrick Brown led Xavier (3-0) with 16 points. Demarre Carroll was 6-of-6 from the field in the second half and finished with 17 points for Missouri (2-1).

Xavier led 35-32 at halftime. A pair of free throws by Carroll gave Missouri a 45-43 lead at 14:10, and although Xavier led by a point twice after that, the Tigers went up by seven on a free throw by Leo Lyons with 7:04 to play.

From that point, Holloway made all 10 free throws, giving the Musketeers the lead for good at 71-70 with 1:21 remaining. His last two came with 4 seconds left.