Xavier-Dayton Preview

2/23/2008 5:59 PM

By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Writer

Given Xavier's success recently, it seems like long ago that Dayton was the Atlantic 10's highest-ranked team.

While the Flyers have fallen, the 10th-ranked Musketeers have risen to replace them, and Xavier can clinch at least a share of the A-10 regular-season title on Dayton's home court if it wins its 10th consecutive game on Sunday.

Xavier (23-4, 11-1) is having the type of season Dayton hoped was in the works when the Flyers (17-8, 5-7) won their 13th straight game on Jan. 12, pushing them to No. 14 in the AP poll.

But the Flyers have lost seven of 10 since, including a 69-43 defeat at Xavier on Jan. 24, while falling into the A-10's bottom half.

Xavier, meanwhile, hasn't lost since Jan. 16, as the victory over Dayton was the Musketeers' second during their current nine-game winning streak. They hold a three-game lead over second-place St. Joseph's with four games to play, and can clinch the A-10 title outright with a win in this contest and a loss by the Hawks at Rhode Island Sunday.

The Musketeers' latest win was a 75-48 home blowout of Duquesne on Thursday, during which Xavier's formula of balanced offense and stifling defense was on display.

No player had more than 13 points, but four had at least 12, making Xavier 17-0 when four players score in double figures.

At the other end, Xavier held the Dukes - who entered the game leading the A-10 with 84.1 points per game - to 30.6 percent shooting, including just 5-of-22 from 3-point range.

"That's our strength," Xavier forward Derrick Brown said. "We're a whole team."

Brown had 13 points and 11 rebounds, C.J. Anderson added 13 points and 10 boards, and B.J. Raymond contributed 13 points and shot 3-of-4 from 3-point range. The three players are among the six Musketeers who average at least 10.0 points.

But the most impressive performance might have come from senior shooting guard Stanley Burrell. With point guard Drew Lavender limited to 14 minutes with a sprained ankle, Burrell stepped in and had a career-high 12 assists.

"When you've got guys like this that can finish and guys that can shoot on the wings like B.J., it should be no problem," Burrell said. "With Drew going down, I had to step up and help at that point guard spot and give him a chance to get healthy."

Xavier used a similar formula to blow out then-No. 16 Dayton last month. Four players had at least nine points in that game, but none had more than 13, and the Flyers shot just 30.4 percent and 2-of-18 from 3-point range.

Musketeers coach Sean Miller also called Burrell the MVP of that game after he scored 13 points and helped hold Dayton standout Brian Roberts to just five points.

"I really credit Stanley Burrell," Miller said after that game. "No player I've coached was more ready for a defensive challenge that was enormous."

Roberts has averaged 23.8 points in Dayton's last four games, but the Flyers have lost three of them. They fell 81-78 in overtime at La Salle on Thursday despite 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting from Roberts.

Dayton led 30-21 at halftime, but allowed 60 points in the second half and overtime.

"It's a bitter pill to swallow, but in all honesty, we didn't deserve to win this game," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "We've deserved to win a lot of games, but this wasn't one of them. What's disappointing is how we have had opportunities to cement wins in close games and we have not taken advantage of those opportunities."

Despite their struggles, the Flyers are still 13-2 at home this season, but they've lost four in a row overall to Xavier, including a 75-67 defeat at home last season in which Lavender had 27 points.