Atlantic 10 Conference Basketball Tournament |
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Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals Recap(2) Xavier 78, (7) Dayton 73
In a game that Brian Gregory's Dayton Flyers needed to bolster a sclerotic Big Dance resume, the Flyers reinforced Selection Committee doubts, blowing a double-digit second half lead. Xavier outscored the Flyers 43-33 in the second half on their way to a 78-73 triumph that was almost certainly the final nail in the coffin of what was once Dayton's robust at-large NCAA Tournament profile. The Big Picture: Xavier was able to overcome a multitude of mistakes, which included 18 turnovers, thanks to the superlative performance of the Musketeers' big three – sophomores Jordan Crawford and Terrell Holloway, and senior big Jason Love. That trio combined for 59 of Xavier's 78 points. Chris Mack's side is tough to beat when Crawford, Holloway, and Love play like they did versus Dayton. The Good: The Atlantic 10 is filthy rich with guards, yet a compelling argument may be made that the precocious Crawford is the best guard – even player – in the A-10. Certainly, Crawford's 4 turnovers versus Dayton were too many, but the kid scored 20 points, 12 of which came in the decisive second half on Friday to lead the Musketeers to the A-10 semis.
The Bad: There's no polite way to say this, but Dayton choked. The Flyers took their first lead at the 16:59 mark of the first half (that's before the first media timeout), and maintained the lead until the 2:38 mark of the second half. Xavier's Terrell Holloway hit a jumper to break a 66-66 deadlock, and the Musketeers closed the game with an 11-7 run. The Ugly: Dayton 's shooting in the second half was the stuff seven-month-long nightmares are made of. In desperate need of a win, the Flyers made only 10-of-28 shots from the floor in the second half. A bricktastic 3-of-13 3-point shooting performance in the final stanza didn't help matters either.
What's Next? Xavier has a semifinal tilt with Richmond, the A-10 tourney's third seed, Saturday afternoon at 3:30 Eastern time. The one and only game between the Musketeers and Spiders this season was a double overtime classic, which Xavier won, 78-76. As for Dayton, an experienced and talented side that seemingly should've accomplished more this season, the Flyers are shoo-ins for the NIT. A deep run in that tournament is possible, as is an early-round flameout.
By: Tim Coyne |