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March 12, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
CINCINNATI --- Xavier University first-year head coach Chris Mack is among the fifteen finalists for the 2010 Skip Prosser Award, which is named for the late former head coach at Xavier and Wake Forest.
Mack, who played for Prosser and coached on his staffs at Xavier and Wake Forest, has led XU to a 23-7 record this season and a fourth straight Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Championship. Mack is tied with Josh Pastner of Memphis (23-9) as the winningest first-year head coaches in Division I. They trail only current Kentucky and former Memphis and UMass head coach John Calipari among 27 head coaches in NCAA Division I that were new to their teams this season.
Mack, 40, is the 17th head coach in program history. Mack has already led Xavier to a 20-win season, the first time in school history that a coach has led a team to 20 wins without at least two seniors on the roster. In addition, he accomplished that feat with no returning double-figure scorers from last season.
The Skip Prosser Award was established last year to honor recipients who not only achieve success on the basketball court but who display moral integrity off of it as well.
The Citadel’s Ed Conroy was the winner of the 2009 award and Notre Dame's Mike Brey won the inaugural award in 2008. This year’s award will be presented on April 2 in Indianapolis.
2010 SKIP PROSSER AWARD FINALISTS:
Chris Mack (Xavier), Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt),Brad Stevens (Butler), Murry Bartow (East Tennessee State), Bill Carmody (Northwestern), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), Fran Dunphy (Temple), Greg Kampe (Oakland), Billy Kennedy (Murray State), Bob Marlin (Sam Houston State), Stew Morrill (Utah State), Eric Reveno (Portland), Dave Rose (BYU), Mike Young (Wofford), Ted Woodward (Maine)
March 9, 2010
BASEBALL
Late Rally Pushes Le Moyne Past Baseball, 6-2, in Home Opener
Two Musketeers Tallied Multiple Hits on the Day
CINCINNATI - After taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth, the Xavier baseball team suffered a 6-2 setback in the Musketeers' home opener as visiting Le Moyne College scored five runs in the last two innings of the contest Tuesday afternoon at Hayden Field. Two Musketeers had multiple hits in the game, including senior Bobby Freking who was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Xavier (1-10) struck first, scoring a lone run in the fourth inning when junior John McCambridge singled and stole second to get into scoring position. Freking followed with a single to center, bringing home McCambridge, and giving XU the early 1-0 lead.
Le Moyne (5-6) even the game at one apiece in the fifth but Xavier answered with a run in the sixth to retake the lead. Senior Drew Schmidt led off with a single up the middle and sprinted around to third on Freking's base hit to center. Junior Ben Thomas brought Schmidt home with his sacrifice fly out and the Musketeers led, 2-1.
With three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth, the Dolphins took control of the game. The Musketeers' threatened with loaded bases in the bottom of the ninth but stellar pitching got LMC out of the jam, striking out the last two XU batters. Le Moyne took the 6-2 victory.
Redshirt sophomore Shane Liska (0-1) took the loss for the Musketeers. He faced three batters in the eighth. Starter freshman Markus Kuykendoll tossed six innings, giving up one run on five hits and striking out one while walking two. Redshirt sophomore Josh Murphy, sophomore Josh Deeg and redshirt freshman Alex Vice each put in one inning of work.
Tom McDermott (1-1) took the win for the Dolphins after throwing 2.1 innings. He gave up no runs on one hit and struck out three while walking one.
March 9, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
The X’s and O’s
• No. 24 Xavier secured a share of its fourth straight Atlantic 10 Conference regular season title with a 93-72 win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday. Both Xavier and Temple finished 14-2.
• Xavier’s 14-year Atlantic 10 history, which began in the 1995-96 season, includes eight regular season and four tournament titles. Xavier has won the last four A-10 Regular Season Championships: 2010 (Co-Champs), 2009, 2008 and 2007 (Co-Champs).
• Xavier won the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship in 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Only Xavier (1998 and 2002) and George Washington (2005) have won the tournament and regular season titles in the same season since XU joined the A-10.
• No. 24 Xavier is 23-7 overall and has won a season-high seven straight games and 11 of its last 12 games. XU has secured its fifth straight 20-win season and its 13th 20-win season in 14 years.
• Xavier is ranked 24th in this week’s Associated Press Poll, which is up from 25th last week. This is the fourth straight season XU has earned an AP ranking. Xavier is now ranked number 21 in the latest RPI rankings for collegerpi.com (3-8-10).
• Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring at 19.7 ppg. Crawford was named this week as a Sporting News Third Team All-American and the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year by Sporting News and foxsports.com. In addition, Crawford was named to the USBWA All-District V Team.
• Xavier’s lone senior, Jason Love, was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10 by Sporting News and Third Team All-Atlantic 10 by the A-10 coaches. Love leads the team in rebounding at 8.6 rpg. (fifth in A-10) and is second in scoring at 11.9 ppg..
Love holds a 105-31 (.772) record during his Xavier career so far, breaking the school record of 103 wins set by B.J. Raymond.
• Xavier leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense (79.9 ppg.), scoring margin (+11.7 ppg.), field goal percentage (.470) and three-point field goal percentage (.377).
• Xavier sophomore Terrell Holloway, who leads the A-10 in free-throw percentage at 84.9 percent, had a 24-point effort in the Feb. 28 win over Richmond.
• Xavier junior Jamel McLean has averaged 11.9 ppg. and 9.9 rpg. during the current seven-game winning streak.
• Xavier made its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and its eighth in the last nine years, including the NCAA Sweet 16 this past season (2009) and the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.
March 9, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
CINCINNATI --- Sophomore Jordan Crawford, the leading scorer in the Atlantic 10 Conference at 19.7 ppg. to go with 4.7 rpg. and 3.0 apg., has been named as a Third Team All-American by Sporting News. SN announced five All-American teams with five members on each team for a total of 25 honorees. Crawford is the only Atlantic 10 player listed on the All-American teams.
Crawford is the first Xavier player to make one of the top three teams on a major All-American listing since 2003 National Player of the Year David West. In addition, Crawford is the first XU player to ever earn such a prestigious honor as a freshman or sophomore. For the record, West (2001) and Byron Larkin (1986) were AP Honorable Mention All-Americans as sophomores.
In addition to the national honors, Sporting News announced All-Atlantic 10 honors as well. Crawford was named A-10 Player of the Year and senior Jason Love was named Second Team All-Atlantic 10. Foxsports.com released its A-10 awards as well and also picked Crawford as the A-10 Player of the Year. The Atlantic 10 Conference coaches had Crawford on their First Team and Love on their Third Team.
SPORTING NEWS ALL-AMERICANS
First team
G James Anderson, Oklahoma State
G Scottie Reynolds,Villanova
G Evan Turner, Ohio State
G John Wall, Kentucky
G Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
Second team
G Sherron Collins, Kansas
G Jon Scheyer, Duke
F Damion James, Texas
F Wesley Johnson, Syracuse
F/C DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky
Third team
G Jordan Crawford, Xavier
G Jimmer Fredette, BYU
G Jacob Pullen, Kansas State
F Darington Hobson, New Mexico
C Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Fourth team
G Jerome Randle, California
G Devan Downey, South Carolina
G Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech
G Matt Bouldin, Gonzaga
G Tweety Carter, Baylor
Fifth team
G Andy Rautins, Syracuse
G Trevon Hughes, Wisconsin
F Lazar Hayward, Marquette
F Kyle Singler, Duke
F Austin Freeman, Georgetown
SPORTING NEWS ATLANTIC 10 AWARDS
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Player of the year: Jordan Crawford, Xavier
Coach of the year: Chris Mooney, Richmond
Freshman of the year: Chris Gaston, Fordham
Defensive player of the year: Lavoy Allen, Temple
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Jordan Crawford, G, Xavier
Kevin Anderson, G, Richmond
Lavoy Allen, F, Temple
Rodney Green, G, LaSalle
Ricky Harris, G, Massachusetts
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
David Gonzalvez, G, Richmond
Jason Love, C, Xavier
Keith Cothran, G, Rhode Island
Shamari Spears, F, Charlotte
Chris Wright, F, Dayton
March 7, 2010
BASEBALL
Six-Run Sixth Lifts Wake Past Baseball, 12-10, in Battle of the Bats
Freshman Patrick Paligraf Tallies Four Hits
Junior Ben Thomas was 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored along with 10 put outs
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest put up six runs in the sixth inning to overtake Xavier baseball, 12-10, Sunday afternoon in the finale of the three-game series between the two teams at WF Baseball Field. Freshman Patrick Paligraf went 4-for-5 at the plate with a run scored for the Musketeers in the loss.
Also for the Musketeers, juniors Ben Thomas and Phil Bauer each had two hits on the day and Bauer knocked out his second home run of the season, a three-run shot in the fifth.
Xavier (1-9) was the one to strike first in this contest as the Musketeers scored two in the first. Junior John McCambridge was walked and reached second as senior Bobby Freking connected on a single through the left side. Thomas followed with a base hit to load the bases and junior Ryan Bellamy tallied an RBI as he took a base on balls, scoring McCambridge. Redshirt senior Neil Lindgren was up next and four balls later, Freking was crossing home as XU went up 2-0.
Wake Forest (6-6) answered with four runs in the second off two walks and three doubles to take over the lead, 4-2. The Demon Deacons got another run in both the third and fourth innings, including a solo shot in the third, to go up by four, 6-2.
The Musketeers came up huge in the fifth, putting up seven runs in the top of the inning. Paligraf led off with a single up the middle and senior Drew Schmidt followed with a walk. Paligraf got to third on a pop up by McCambridge and the newcomer scored as Freking was put out at first. Thomas singled to put Schmidt on third and was walked to load the bases.
With the bags full, the Demon Deacons walked in Schmidt when Lindgren took a base and freshman Daniel Rod's single scored both Thomas and Bellamy. Bauer was up next and with two on and two outs, the shortstop blasted a long ball over the left field fence for three RBI. After four and a half played, Xavier held a 9-6 advantage.
Schmidt scored a single run for the Musketeers in the sixth after getting on base with a double to left. After moving over to the hot corner on a McCambridge ground out, he came home as Thomas was put out on a fielder's choice, giving XU the four-run lead, 10-6.
The Demon Deacons were not going away and rallied for six runs in the sixth on two home runs and two doubles. WF pulled ahead of XU, 12-10, which proved to be the final margin.
Junior Brian Muransky (0-2) took the loss for the Musketeers after tossing 2.1 innings. He gave up six earned runs on six hits and struck out three while walking three. Today's starter was freshman Jon Richard who put in 3.1 innings on the day. He gave up six earned runs on five hits and struck out two while walking six. Redshirt sophomore Josh Murphy and redshirt freshman Alex Vice combined for the last 2.1 innings of the game.
Niko Spezial (1-2) picked up the win for the Demon Deacons after tossing two innings. The Deacs' starter, Austin Stadler, threw 4.2 innings giving up eight earned runs on seven hits and struck out one while walking six.
Wake Forest had four players tally two hits on the day and Shane Kroker collected four RBI.
March 7, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
ATLANTIC 10 ANNOUNCES ALL-CONFERENCE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Junior guard Kevin Anderson of Richmond has been named the 2009-10 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 Fordham’s Chris Gaston as the Rookie of the Year, Chris Johnson of Dayton as the recipient of the Chris Daniels Award as the league’s most improved player, Temple’s Ramone Moore as Sixth Man of the Year, Damian Saunders of Duquesne as Defensive Player of the Year and Temple’s Fran Dunphy as Coach of the Year. In addition, Yves Mekongo of La Salle was tabbed Student-Athlete of the Year in voting among the league’s sports information directors.
Anderson ranks fifth in the Conference in scoring (17.8 ppg.) while leading the third-seeded Spiders to program highs in both regular season (24) and A-10 (13) victories. A second-team selection a year ago, the native of Duluth, Ga., has scored 20 or more points 12 times this season and also leads UR in assists (83) and steals (56). Anderson is the program’s first student-athlete to be tabbed A-10 Player of the Year since UR entered the league in 2001-02.
A two-time Player of the Week selection this season, Anderson is joined on the All-Conference first-team by Lavoy Allen of Temple, Xavier’s Jordan Crawford, Damian Saunders of Duquesne and Dayton’s Chris Wright. Crawford leads the A-10 in scoring at 19.7 ppg., while Wright garnered second-team distinction last season. For the first time in the league’s 34-year history, the first-team All-Conference consists of only sophomores and juniors.
The All-Conference second-team includes Temple’s Ryan Brooks, David Gonzalvez of Richmond, La Salle’s Rodney Green, Kwamain Mitchell of Saint Louis and St. Bonaventure’s Andrew Nicholson. Teammates Keith Cothran and Delroy James of Rhode Island, Massachusetts’ Ricky Harris, Jason Love of Xavier and Charlotte’s Shamari Spears were named to the third team. Temple’s Juan Fernandez, Damian Hollis of George Washington and Willie Reed of Saint Louis earned honorable mention acclaim.
A four-time A-10 Rookie of the Week selection, Gaston leads all freshmen nationally in both scoring (18.0 ppg.) and rebounding (11.4), while his 504 points are the most by a freshman in team annals. The 6-7 forward leads the A-10 with three 30-point performances, pulled down at least 10 rebounds on 20 different occasions, and registered 19 double-doubles. Gaston is the third Fordham student-athlete to earn A-10 Rookie of the Year distinction, joining Bevon Robin (1998) and Bryant Dunston (2005).
Gaston is joined on the All-Rookie team by Chris Braswell of Charlotte, Cody Ellis of Saint Louis, George Washington’s Lasan Kromah, Aaric Murray of La Salle and Rhode Island’s Akeem Richmond.
The first-ever Duquesne player to garner A-10 Defensive Player of the Year distinction, Saunders enters this week’s A-10 Championship atop the league in both blocked shots (93) and steals (84) while averaging 14.9 ppg. and 11.4 rpg. The Waterbury, Conn., resident boasts 19 double-doubles and 19 performances with double-digit rebounds. Moreover, his 84 steals are tops in program history.
The All-Defensive team is comprised of Saunders, Allen, Gonzalvez, Dayton’s London Warren and Garrett Williamson of Saint Joseph’s. Allen, Warren and Williamson are repeat selections.
Johnson was tabbed the recipient of the Atlantic 10's Chris Daniels Award, presented to the Conference’s most improved player. A year ago, the 6-6 forward averaged 6.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and knocked down 24 field goals from beyond the arc. This season, the Columbus, Ohio, native enters the A-10 Championship ranked second on the Flyers in both scoring (11.8 ppg.) and rebounding (7.0 rpg.) while boasting 55 three-point field goals. He has grabbed 10 or more rebounds six times this season and has three 20-point performances to his credit.
Moore has provided a spark off the Temple bench in his sophomore campaign, averaging 7.6 points and dishing out 47 assists in just 17.6 minutes per game. In A-10 play, the 6-4 guard from Philadelphia, Pa., averaged 9.8 points on 51.3 percent shooting (61-for-119).
A three-time Academic All-Conference selection, Mekongo recently earned CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America first-team distinction. The senior forward from Elizabeth, N.J., boasts a 3.81 grade point average while majoring in Integrated Science, Business & Technology. A second-team Academic All-American a year ago, Mekongo averaged 11.0 points and finished his career with 1,014 points.
Joining Mekongo on the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team are Brian Conklin of Saint Louis, Duquesne’s Jason Duty, Kurt Huelsman of Dayton and Rhode Island’s Will Martell.
Now in his fourth season at Temple, Dunphy guided the Owls to their first A-10 regular season title since 2002 and the top seed in this week’s Atlantic 10 Championship. Ranked 16th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and 20th in the Associated Press top 25, TU compiled a mark of 14-2 in Conference play, while its 26 regular-season victories equaled the Owls’ second-highest total in team history. In addition, Temple leads the league in both scoring defense (56.8 ppg.) and field goal percentage defense (38.1). The Owls have captured the last two A-10 Championships and are 81-48 (.628) under Dunphy.
First-Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown PPG RPG Asts Stls Blks
Kevin Anderson Richmond Jr. G 6-0 Duluth, Ga. 17.8 3.4 83 56 12
Lavoy Allen Temple Jr. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 11.7 10.8 72 17 46
Jordan Crawford Xavier So. G 6-4 Detroit, Mich. 19.7 4.7 89 39 5
Damian Saunders Duquesne Jr. F 6-7 Waterbury, Conn. 14.9 11.4 74 84 93
Chris Wright Dayton Jr. F 6-8 Trotwood, Ohio 14.3 7.3 29 27 41
Second-Team
Ryan Brooks Temple Sr. G 6-4 Narberth, Pa. 14.5 4.5 76 24 2
David Gonzalvez Richmond Sr. G 6-4 Marietta, Ga. 14.3 4.2 70 55 8
Rodney Green La Salle Sr. G 6-5 Philadelphia, Pa. 18.5 5.1 128 48 7
Kwamain Mitchell Saint Louis So. G 5-10 Milwaukee, Wis. 16.1 3.1 85 41 2
Andrew Nicholson St. Bonaventure So. F 6-9 Mississauga, Ontario 16.2 7.1 12 6 50
Third-Team
Keith Cothran Rhode Island Sr. G 6-4 New Haven, Conn. 15.0 3.5 61 53 15
Ricky Harris Massachusetts Sr. G 6-2 Baltimore, Md. 19.7 3.4 89 39 3
Delroy James Rhode Island Jr. F 6-8 Brooklyn, N.Y. 12.8 5.3 48 47 32
Jason Love Xavier Sr. F/C 6-9 Philadelphia, Pa. 11.9 8.6 26 14 46
Shamari Spears Charlotte Jr. F 6-6 Salisbury, N.C. 16.3 6.0 22 9 24
Honorable Mention
Juan Fernandez Temple So. G 6-4 Rio Tercero, Argentina 12.2 2.5 105 27 1
Damian Hollis George Washington Sr. F 6-8 Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 13.1 4.8 36 24 24
Willie Reed Saint Louis So. F 6-9 Kansas City, Mo. 11.8 8.0 22 23 60
Rookie Team
Chris Braswell Charlotte Fr. F 6-8 Mount Pleasant, Md. 9.6 8.7 31 18 19
Cody Ellis Saint Louis Fr. F 6-8 Perth, Australia 11.6 4.9 22 16 3
Chris Gaston Fordham Fr. F 6-7 Palisades Park, N.J. 18.0 11.4 43 26 50
Lasan Kromah George Washington Fr. G 6-5 Greenbelt, Md. 11.8 3.4 55 58 9
Aaric Murray La Salle Fr. C 6-10 Philadelphia, Pa. 12.2 6.6 34 22 70
Akeem Richmond Rhode Island Fr. G 6-1 Samford, N.C. 9.0 1.7 16 17 2
Defensive Team
Lavoy Allen Temple Jr. F 6-9 Morrisville, Pa. 11.7 10.8 72 17 46
David Gonzalvez Richmond Sr. G 6-4 Marietta, Ga. 14.3 4.2 70 55 8
Damian Saunders Duquesne Jr. F 6-7 Waterbury, Conn. 14.9 11.4 74 84 93
London Warren Dayton Sr. G 6-0 Jacksonville, Fla. 4.6 3.1 125 36 5
Garrett Williamson Saint Joseph’s Sr. G 6-5 Lower Merion, Pa. 12.2 3.4 113 54 31
Academic Team School Cl. Pos. Ht. Hometown Major
Brian Conklin Saint Louis So. F 6-6 North Eugene, Ore. Business Administration
Jason Duty Duquesne Sr. G 6-1 Cranberry Township, Pa. Accounting
Kurt Huelsman Dayton Sr. F/C 6-10 St. Henry, Ohio Operations Management
Will Martell Rhode Island Jr. C 7-0 Fair Haven, N.J. Finance
Yves Mekongo La Salle Sr. F 6-7 Elizabeth, N.J. Integrated Science &
Business Technology
Player of the Year: Kevin Anderson, Richmond
Rookie of the Year: Chris Gaston, Fordham
Defensive Player of the Year: Damian Saunders, Duquesne
Chris Daniels Most Improved Player of the Year: Chris Johnson, Dayton
Sixth Man of the Year: Ramone Moore, Temple
Student-Athlete of the Year: Yves Mekongo, La Salle
Coach of the Year: Fran Dunphy, Temple
March 6, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
CINCINNATI --- The second-seeded Xavier men’s basketball team will play either Dayton or George Washington in its first Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament game in Friday’s quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. No. 7 seed Dayton will host no. 10 seed George Washington on Tuesday night in a first round matchup to determine XU’s opponent on Friday.
Xavier, 23-7 overall and winner of seven straight games, clinched a share of its fourth straight Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Championship with a 93-72 win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday in the regular season finale at Cintas Center. Both XU and Temple finished the regular season at 14-2. Temple will be the no. 1 seed in the tournament, while XU is the no. 2 seed.
Temple, Xavier, no. 3 seed Richmond and no. 4 seed Saint Louis all earned first round byes in the tournament. Fordham and La Salle did not qualify for the tournament but the other eight teams will play first round games at campus sites on Tuesday.
Xavier, ranked no. 25 in the Associated Press Poll, has won four Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships since joining the league for the 1995-96 season, including 1998, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Xavier is ranked no. 25 in the Associated Press Poll.
The complete release from the Atlantic 10 Office:
Two-time defending champion Temple is the top seed for the 2010 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship, which commences on Tuesday, Mar. 9.
Ranked 16th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and 20th in the Associated Press Top 25, the Owls (26-5/14-2) claimed a share of their ninth A-10 regular season crown and first since winning the East Division title in 2002. Led by senior guard Ryan Brooks (14.5 ppg.) and junior forward Lavoy Allen (11.7 ppg., 10.8 rpg.), the Owls enter this week’s Championship boasting a seven-game winning streak.
Xavier (23-7) finished tied with TU at 14-2 in A-10 play and earned a share of the regular season title for the fourth consecutive year and the No. 2 overall seed. UMass holds the league record with five-straight titles from 1992-96. Paced by the league’s leading scorer in sophomore guard Jordan Crawford (19.7 ppg.), the 25th-ranked Musketeers (AP poll) have won seven consecutive games and 11 of their last 12.
Richmond (24-7/13-3) and Saint Louis (20-10/11-5) also received first round byes after finishing third and fourth, respectively. The Spiders established program records for regular season and A-10 victories and earned their highest seed in program history. SLU recorded its second 20-win campaign since 1998 despite having the nation’s youngest roster.
Beginning this season, a new format is in place for the A-10 Men’s Basketball Championship as first round games will be hosted on campus sites on Tuesday, Mar. 9. No. 5 Rhode Island (21-8/9-7) hosts 12th-seeded Saint Joseph’s (11-19/5-11); No. 11 Massachusetts (11-19/5-11) visits sixth-seeded Charlotte (19-11/9-7); No. 7 Dayton (19-11/8-8) hosts 10th-seeded George Washington (16-13/6-10); and ninth-seeded Duquesne (16-14/7-9) visits No. 8 St. Bonaventure (14-15/7-9), the Bonnies’ highest seed since 2001.
The setting for the Championship then shifts to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., as the quarterfinal round commences at Noon on Friday, Mar. 12, with Temple facing the SBU-DUQ winner, followed by Saint Louis versus URI-SJU at 2:30pm. Xavier tips off at 6:30pm on Friday evening against the UD-GW winner, while Richmond plays at 9:00pm versus either Charlotte or Massachusetts.
Semifinal action will take place on Saturday, Mar. 13, with the Championship game held on Sunday, Mar. 14, and televised live nationally at 1:00pm on CBS Sports for the first time in A-10 history.
Tickets can be purchased at the Boardwalk Hall box office, all Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 800-736-1420.
Quarterfinal round action can be viewed live on www.atlantic10.org. Fans can subscribe beginning Wednesday, Mar. 10, for the cost of $7.95 per game. For complete coverage of the 2010 Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, log on to www.atlantic10.org
2010 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Championship
Tuesday, March 9
First Round - Campus Sites
# 9 Duquesne at #8 St. Bonaventure 7:00
#10 George Washington at #7 Dayton 7:00
#11 Massachusetts at #6 Charlotte 7:00
#12 Saint Joseph's at #5 Rhode Island 7:00 (Cox)
Friday, March 12
Quarterfinals - Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, N.J.
Game 5 - #1 Temple vs. #8/#9 winner 12:00 (CBS CS)*
Game 6 - #4 Saint Louis vs. #5/#12 winner 2:30 (CBS CS)*
Game 7 - #2 Xavier vs. #7/#10 winner 6:30 (CBS CS)*
Game 8 - #3 Richmond vs. #6/#11 winner 9:00 (CBS CS)*
Saturday, March 13
Semifinals - Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, N.J.
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner 1:00 (CBS College Sports)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner 3:30 (CBS College Sports)
Sunday, March 14
Finals - Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, N.J.
1:00 (CBS)
*CBS CS - regionalized coverage by CBS College Sports Network. Check local listings
March 6, 2010
BASEBALL
Wake Forest Downs Baseball, 6-1
Freshman Patrick Paligraf's sac bunt scored XU's lone run in the fifth
Box Score
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - In the second of a three-game series, the Xavier baseball team dropped a 6-1 decision at Wake Forest Saturday evening at WF Baseball Park. The Demon Deacons out-hit the Musketeers, 9-6, as they improve to 5-6 on the season while XU falls to 1-8 overall.
The Musketeers were led by redshirt senior Neil Lindgren who went 2-for-3 at the plate. Four other Musketeers tallied a hit in the contest and freshman Patrick Paligraf collected an RBI.
Georgia Tech went ahead, 2-0, after scoring one run in both the first and third innings. Xavier got a run back in the fifth to cut the GT lead to one, 2-1. Junior Ben Thomas led off with a single through the left side and junior Ryan Bellamy's sacrifice bunt moved him over to second. Lindgren's base hit to left center got Thomas on third and Paligraf used the second sac bunt of the inning to bring home Thomas.
The Demon Deacons answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and added two more in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Georgia Tech took the contest by the final margin of 6-1.
Junior Tommy Shirley (0-2) took the loss for the Musketeers as he tossed 4.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits. He struck out a game-high seven batters, one off his career high, and walked three. Sophomore Josh Deeg finished the game for XU, putting in 3.1 innings of work.
Tim Cooney (2-0) took the win for the Demon Deacons after 7.2 innings on the mound. He gave up one run on six hits and struck out four while walking none.
Steven Brooks led the Deacs, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
March 5, 2010
BASEBALL
Wake Forest Gets Past Baseball, 4-2
Senior Bobby Freking extended his career-long hitting streak to 16 games with his single in the first inning
Box Score
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Xavier baseball team battled tough defensive play down the stretch from Wake Forest, falling to the Demon Deacons by a 4-2 margin Friday evening at Wake Forest Baseball Park. With the loss, XU falls to 1-7 on the season while WF improves to 4-6 overall.
Four Musketeers tallied one hit in the game, including junior Phil Bauer who was 1-for-3 at the plate and collected an RBI. Senior Bobby Freking was 1-for-4 today, extending his career-long hitting streak to 16 games dating back to last season.
Wake Forest got a quick run on the board in the first inning on a sacrifice fly out but left three on the bases as redshirt freshman Nate Mutsch fanned Carlos Lopez to get out of the jam.
Xavier answered with two in the top of second to take the lead, 2-1. Junior Ryan Bellamy was walked to open the inning and redshirt Neil Lindgren followed with a single through the left side. Lindgren was able to make it around to second on the play on a Demon Deacon fielding error and Bellamy raced home to score the Musketeers' first run of the game.
With Lindgren on second, freshman Patrick Paligraf grounded out to the short stop, allowing Lindgren to reach third. Bauer was up next, reaching first on another WF fielding error and Lindgren came home to put XU up one, 2-1.
The Deacs tied the game with an RBI single in the third and then took back the lead with a two run sixth on back-to-back doubles. Wake Forest held on to the advantage through the next three innings, taking the game, 4-2.
Mutsch (0-2) took the loss for the Musketeers after putting in 5.1 innings of work. He gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out three while walking two. Freshman Seth Willoughby tossed one inning of middle relief and redshirt sophomore Shane Liska closed out the game for the Musketeers.
Michael Dimock (1-1) got the win for the Demon Deacons as he threw six complete innings. He gave up two unearned runs on four hits and struck out none while walking one. Matt Conway (1) got the save for GT as he tossed the last three innings of the contest.
March 5, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
The X’s and O’s
• Xavier, 13-2 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, can secure at least a share of its fourth straight Atlantic 10 regular season title with a win over St. Bonaventure. Xavier’s 14-year Atlantic 10 history, which began in the 1995-96 season, includes seven regular season and four tournament titles. Xavier won the last three A-10 Regular Season Championships (2009, 2008 and Co-Champs in 2007).
• Xavier is 22-7 overall and 13-2 and tied for first in the Atlantic 10 Conference with Temple. XU has won six straight games and 10 of its last 11 games. XU is coming off an 82-56 win at Fordham on Wednesday.
• Xavier is ranked 25th in this week’s Associated Press Poll, XU’s first appearance in the poll this season. This is the fourth straight season XU has earned an AP ranking. Xavier is now ranked number 19 in the latest RPI rankings for collegerpi.com (3-5-10).
• Xavier, 22-7, has secured its fifth straight 20-win season and its 13th 20-win season in 14 years.
• Xavier first-year head coach Chris Mack, one of the top candidates for Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, is tied with Josh Pastner of Memphis (22-8) as the winningest first-year head coaches in Division I entering this weekend’s games. Mack and Pastner trailed only current Kentucky and former Memphis and UMass head coach John Calipari among 27 head coaches in NCAA Division I that were new to their teams this season. Mack has already led Xavier to a 20-win season, the first time in school history that a coach has led a team to 20 wins without at least two seniors on the roster. In addition, he accomplished that feat with no returning double-figure scorers from last season.
• Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring at 19.6 ppg. He has been named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week three times this season.
• Xavier’s lone senior, Jason Love, tied his career high with 21 points at Saint Louis to go with nine rebounds. Love leads the team in rebounding at 8.6 rpg. (fourth in the A-10) and blocked shots at 1.6 bpg. (eighth in the A-10).
• Xavier senior Jason Love holds a 104-31 (.770) record during his Xavier career so far, breaking the the school record of 103 wins set by 2009 graduate B.J. Raymond.
• Xavier leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense (79.5 ppg.), scoring margin (+11.3 ppg.), field goal percentage (.468) and three-point field goal percentage (.375).
• Xavier sophomore Terrell Holloway, who leads the A-10 in free-throw percentage at 84.9 percent, had a 24-point effort vs. Richmond.
• Xavier junior Jamel McLean has averaged 11.1 ppg. and 9.8 rpg. over the last eight games., including 16 points and eight rebounds at Fordham on Wednesday.
• Xavier made its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and its eighth in the last nine years, including the NCAA Sweet 16 this past season (2009) and the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.
March 4, 2010
BASEBALL
Four-Run Ninth Not Enough as Baseball Falls, 10-7, at NC State
Freshman Daniel Rod collected three RBI on his ninth-inning double to left center
Box Score
RALEIGH, N.C. - A ninth-inning rally fell just short as the Xavier baseball team dropped a 10-7 decision at NC State Thursday evening. The two teams picked up the game after both had their mid-week contests cancelled.
The Musketeers were led by senior Bobby Freking who went 3-for-5 at the plate, including a three-run long ball in the fifth, with three RBI and two runs scored. Junior Ryan Bellamy also had a multiple hit day, going 2-for-5 with a run scored.
NC State (7-1) jumped out early on the Musketeers, scoring three runs in the first two innings off a total of four hits. Neither team produced in the third or fourth and the score remained 3-0 in favor of NCS heading into the fifth inning.
Xavier (1-6) battled back, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth to tie the contest at three-all. Freshman Seth Willoughby was walked and made it to second when senior Drew Schmidt singled through the right side. With runners at first and second, Freking blasted out a three-run homer, his second home run of the season, to even the score.
The Wolfpack used a two-run fifth to retake the lead, 5-3, and then scored one more in the seventh. NC State was able to build a sizable margin in the bottom of the eighth with a grand slam to left center, giving the Pack the 10-3 advantage.
In the top of the ninth, the Musketeers rallied as Freking connected on a two-out single to center and was moved over to second on a single from junior Ben Thomas. Bellamy loaded the bases with his hit to right field and Freking was walked in as redshirt senior Neil Lindgren took a base on balls. Freshman Daniel Rod came up big with a three-RBI double to left that cleared the bases but that would be the end of the rally as NC State took the contest, 10-7.
Freshman Markus Kuykendoll (0-1) took the loss Xavier in his first collegiate start and third appearance this season. He gave up five runs on eight hits and struck out one while walking one. Junior Brian Muransky out in three innings of work, giving up four runs and striking out three, while redshirt freshman Alex Vice faced one batter in the eighth. Redshirt sophomore Josh Murphy tossed two-thirds of an inning to close out the game for XU.
Cory Mazzoni (2-0) got the win for NC State after throwing 5.2 innings. He gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out seven while walking four.
NC State was led by Andrew Ciencin with four hits, including the grand slam in the eighth, six RBI and two runs scored.
March 1, 2010
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The X’s and O’s
• Xavier is 21-7 overall and 12-2 and tied for first in the Atlantic 10 Conference with Temple. XU has won five straight games and nine of its last 10 games. XU defeated then-No. 23 Richmond 78-76 in double overtime on Sunday.
• Xavier is ranked 25th in this week’s Associated Press Poll, XU’s first appearance in the poll this season. This is the fourth straight season XU has earned an AP ranking. Xavier is now ranked number 12 in the latest RPI rankings for collegerpi.com (3-1-10) with a schedule strength that is ranked 21st.
• Xavier, 21-7, has secured its fifth straight 20-win season and its 13th 20-win season in 14 years.
• Xavier first-year head coach Chris Mack, one of the top candidates for A-10 Coach of the Year, has led Xavier to a 20-win season, the first time in school history that a coach has led XU to 20 wins without at least two seniors on the roster. He accomplished that feat with no returning double-figure scorers from last season.
• Xavier sophomore Jordan Crawford leads the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring at 19.9 ppg. He has been named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week three times this season.
• Xavier’s lone senior, Jason Love, tied his career high with 21 points at Saint Louis to go with nine rebounds. Love leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 rpg. (fifth in the A-10) and blocked shots at 1.6 bpg. (eighth in the A-10).
• Xavier senior Jason Love holds a 103-31 (.769) record during his Xavier career so far. His 103 wins equal the school record first set by 2009 graduate B.J. Raymond.
• Xavier leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring offense (79.4 ppg.), scoring margin (+10.8 ppg.), field goal percentage (.470) and three-point field goal percentage (.376).
• Xavier sophomore Terrell Holloway, who leads the A-10 in free-throw percentage at 84.9 percent, is coming off a game-high 24-point effort vs. Richmond.
• Xavier junior Jamel McLean has averaged 10.4 ppg. and 10.0 rpg. over the last seven games.
• Xavier’s 14-year Atlantic 10 history, which began in the 1995-96 season, includes seven regular season and four tournament titles. Xavier won the last three A-10 Regular Season Championships (2009, 2008 and Co-Champs in 2007).
• Xavier made its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and its eighth in the last nine years, including the NCAA Sweet 16 this past season (2009) and the Elite Eight in 2004 and 2008.
March 1, 2010
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CINCINNATI --- Xavier is ranked 25th in this week’s Associated Press Poll, XU’s first appearance in the poll this season. This is the fourth straight season that the Musketeers have earned an AP ranking. XU is 27th (second among “others receiving votes”) in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll.
Xavier is 21-7 overall and 12-2 and tied for first in the Atlantic 10 Conference with Temple. XU has won five straight games and nine of its last 10 games. XU, which defeated then-No. 23 Richmond 78-76 in double overtime on Sunday, visits Fordham on Wednesday.
Xavier is now ranked number 12 in the latest RPI rankings for collegerpi.com (3-1-10) with a schedule strength that is ranked 21st.
February 27, 2010
BASEBALL
Baseball Shocks No. 4 Georgia Tech, 7-6,
Win is First Over Top-Five Team in Program History
Senior team captain Drew Schmidt was 2-for-5 with an RBI in XU's win over Georgia Tech
ATLANTA - An error-riddled No. 4 Georgia Tech was handed its first loss of the season Sunday afternoon as Xavier baseball came out of Atlanta with a 7-6 win over the Yellow Jackets. The Musketeers scored their seven runs on 12 hits - the most given up by GT this season - to snap Tech's seven-game win streak. This win is XU's first-ever over a top-five ranked opponent.
The Musketeers were led by junior John McCambridge who went 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. Also for Xavier, junior Ben Thomas went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a game-high 13 putouts while senior Drew Schmidt and junior Phil Bauer each added two hits as well.
Georgia Tech (7-1) put up two quick runs in the first frame when Tony Plagman sent a two-run shot over the right field fence. The Musketeers got a run back in the second when junior Ryan Bellamy led off with a double and was moved around to third on a sacrifice fly by redshirt senior Neil Lindgren. Bauer used a ground-rule double to bring home Bellamy, cutting the Jackets’ lead in half, 2-1.
In the bottom of the second, GT used two hits to score another run to go up, 3-1. Xavier (1-5) put up another run in the top of the fifth when McCambridge made it to first on a bunt single and reached second when Schmidt grounded out to third. Senior Bobby Freking collected an RBI with his single through the left side as McCambridge high-tailed it home. XU had pulled to within one, 3-2.
After Georgia Tech scored one more in the bottom of the fifth, Xavier put together a huge four-run sixth to take the lead in the contest, 6-4. Lindgren led off the frame with single and advanced to second as freshman Patrick Paligraf reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. Bauer singled to load the bases and the Jackets went to their bullpen. Redshirt freshman Mark Elwell brought home Lindgren with a fielder’s choice and then stole a base to put runners on second and third.
McCambridge collected two RBI with his single to center, scoring both runners, and then he stole second and advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Schmidt singled to the shortstop, bringing home McCambridge for the Musketeers’ fourth run of the frame. Heading into the bottom of the sixth, XU led by two.
Although Georgia Tech scored another run in the bottom of the sixth, Xavier answered in the eighth as junior Ben Thomas’ RBI single scored Elwell to give XU a two-run advantage, 7-5. The Jackets’ ninth-inning rally fell short as the Musketeers’ defense held strong and redshirt freshman Alex Vice sent Jeff Rowland down swinging for the final out of the contest. Xavier held on for the 7-6 victory over Georgia Tech.
Freshman Jon Richard (1-1) recorded his first collegiate win on the mound for the Musketeers after tossing five innings. He gave up four earned runs on four hits and struck out two while walking three. Vice earned his first career save (1), closing out the game for XU. Sophomore Josh Deeg put in three quality innings of middle relief for the Musketeers, giving up only one run on two hits and striking out one batter.
Jed Bradley (1-1) took the loss for the Jackets after putting in five innings of work. He gave up four earned runs on eight hits while striking out six and walking none.
February 28, 2010
MEN'S BASKETBALL
CINCINNATI --- Xavier University sophomore guard Jordan Crawford has earned Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week honors for the third time this season.
Crawford scored a game-high 26 points in Xavier's win at Saint Louis this past Wednesday to go with five rebounds. Crawford scored 17 of his 26 points in the second half as he helped XU erase a six-point halftime deficit and record the win. Crawford, who leads the A-10 in scoring at 20.0 ppg., has scored 20 or more points in six of the last seven games.
Jonathan Hall of St. Bonaventure was also honored for the week ending Feb. 27.
February 27, 2010
BASEBALL
Baseball Loses at No. 4 Georgia Tech, 15-0
Freshman Daniel Rod singled in the ninth inning
Box Score
ATLANTA - In the second game of its weekend series, the Xavier baseball team was shutout at No. 4 Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon. The Jackets outhit the Musketeers 15-2 on the day and this was GT's fourth shutout of the season.
Xavier (0-5) struggled offensively, posting only two hits in the game. Senior Bobby Freking recorded a double in the fifth and freshman Daniel Rod collected his first career hit in the ninth for the Musketeers.
Georgia Tech (7-0) got on the board quickly in the game, putting up a single run in the first inning after two singles and a wild pitch brought home Tony Plagman. The Jackets got two more in the second when Jason Garofalo sent a two-run shot to right center and Matt Skole homered to right center in the third to give GT an early 4-0 lead.
The Jackets' Jeff Rowland led off the fifth with a solo homer down the right field line and then GT exploded for 10 runs in the sixth to break the game open. Georgia Tech took the contest, 15-0.
Junior Tommy Shirley (0-2) took the loss for the Musketeers after putting in five innings of work. He gave up 10 runs on 12 hits while striking out four and walking one. Shane Liska, Josh Murphy and Seth Willoughby also saw action on the mound for Xavier.
Brandon Compton (2-0) got the win for the Yellow Jackets after throwing seven frames. He struck out four and walked three. Compton combined with Luke Bard and Clay Dalton for the shutout.
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