Xavier Inhospitable To Old Friends The Miami Redhawks

The Xavier Musketeers pulled away from its old time rival, the Miami Redhawks  from the mythical Miami Valley Conference to win the first contest between the two neighbors, 82-55.

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The pair along with The Cincinnati Bearcats and Dayton Flyers all within a 50 mile radius of each other played annually at one time.  Now television revenue and conference rules limit the games among the local foursome.

The Musketeers (4-3) have now won four straight games in the series to lead 55-47 all time.  Miami fell to (3-4).

Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones paced Xavier's inside scoring attack against the smaller Miami squad. Jones had a double double sewn up at the mid point of the second half with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

"We played better with a lead for the first time this year," Xavier coach Travis Steele said.  "It starts with the readiness.  Teams have shot over 40 percent from three-point range this year until tonight.  We were ready to be there on the catch.  Nike Sibande and Delonte Brown can light it up if you don't."

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Jones finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds.  Marshall finished with 17 points.  Paul Scruggs had 12.  The Musketeers committed just three turnovers. It tied the teams record for fewest in a game.  The last time they turned the ball over that few times was in 2004.

"In practice if we turn the ball over three times in a row we have to run sprints.  It helps us learn to take care of the ball," Quentin Goodin said.  The Musketeers only had one in the last 20 minutes.  Miami had 14 miscues.

"We started the way we wanted to," Miami coach Jack Owens said.  "Bam was doing his thing but he got into foul trouble.  Xavier did a good job to bottle them up.  I think also we settled for too many jump shots.  I thought we should have driven the ball more."
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The Musketeers fell behind early but took the lead a 13-12 with 14 minutes left in the first half and expanded the lead with a 15-5 run over the last six minutes to forge a 42-28 lead at the break.

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The Musketeers led by 23 points five minutes into the second half.

Bam Bowman was Miami's leading scorer with 15 points but was in foul trouble most of the second half.  Nike Sibande, Miami's leading scorer on the season, had eight poitns for the Redhawks.

"We knew Sibande is a good three-point shooter.  We just tried to know where he was on the court at all times," Marshall said.

"I had some good looks but I missed shots I usually make.  Delonte (Brown) was the same way.  We just missed shots.  We will get into the gym and work on it," Sibande said.

Xavier shot 54% from the field for the game. Miami made 33%.  Miami took two more shots than the Musketeers did but Xavier had 33 field goals to the Redhawks 21.  In spite of being smaller all over the court.  Miami had 41 rebounds.  The Musketeers had 33. The Redhawks rebounded 17 of its own misses that led to 16 second chance points.

"I'm proud of the way we outrebounded them in their own building," Owens said.