Rotating Image
Calendar
Sunday, Feb 12
SPORT OPP/EVENT TIME COVERAGE
MBB vs Northwestern 6:00 PM
Wednesday, Feb 15
SPORT OPP/EVENT TIME COVERAGE
MBB at Illinois 8:30 PM
Sunday, Feb 19
SPORT OPP/EVENT TIME COVERAGE
MBB vs Michigan State 1:00 PM
Wednesday, Feb 22
SPORT OPP/EVENT TIME COVERAGE
MBB vs Nebraska 6:30 PM
Saturday, Feb 25
SPORT OPP/EVENT TIME COVERAGE
MBB at Michigan 6:00 PM
Wednesday, Feb 29
SPORT OPP/EVENT TIME COVERAGE
MBB vs Penn State 6:30 PM
Sport Home   |   Roster   |   Schedule   |   News   |   Archives   |   Blog   |   Stub Hub
 
Boilermakers Fall Short to Musketeers in Close Contest
 
Keaton Grant nets 19, but Xavier keeps up to stop Purdue in the second round.

 
Nemanja Calasan shoots past Xavier forward Josh Duncan. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
 
Nemanja Calasan shoots past Xavier forward Josh Duncan. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
 
Men's Basketball Home
HEADLINES
Hummel Leads Boilermakers Past Northwestern, 87-77

Men's Basketball To Clash With Northwestern On Sunday

Men's Basketball To Face Michigan On Saturday, Feb. 25
RELATED LINKS
• Ticket Information

• Mackey Arena

•Follow Purdue Hoops on Twitter

• The Boiler Room

NATIONAL COVERAGE

• CBSSports.com Hoops

• Top 25 Rankings

• Bracketology

March 22, 2008

Final Stats Get Acrobat Reader |  Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

Post-Game Press Conference All_Access Video

WASHINGTON (AP) - Xavier played its usual brand of in-your-face defense against Purdue, which seemingly couldn't get to the bench during a timeout without being hounded by a player in a white jersey.

The Musketeers were also surprisingly efficient on the other end of the court, and that ultimately made the difference in an 85-78 victory Saturday that put the X-Men in the West Regional semifinals.

C.J. Anderson and Drew Lavender each scored 18 points and Josh Duncan had 16 for No. 3 seed Xavier (29-6). The Musketeers shot 54 percent in breaking the single-season school record for wins and setting up a meeting with seventh-seeded West Virginia, a surprise winner over Duke, on Thursday in Phoenix.

Keaton Grant scored 19 for the Boilermakers (25-9), who have won 10 straight first-round games but have exited without another win in half those tournaments - including two in a row.

The Musketeers were 26-for-33 at the line and 27-for-50 from the floor against a team that led the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense. The 85 points scored by Xavier were the most allowed by Purdue this season.

Lavender, a 5-foot-7 guard, had nine assists and provided Xavier with a pivotal basket after the Musketeers frittered away an almost insurmountable lead in this defensive struggle.

It was 60-50, Xavier, with 8:35 left when Robbie Hummel made a layup and a 3-pointer in an 11-0 run that provided the Boilermakers their first lead since late in the first half.

The Musketeers quickly answered. B.J. Raymond made a three-point play, and Lavender challenged Purdue's big men with a successful drive to the hoop down the left side. Anderson capped the 7-0 run with a jumper in the lane, and Xavier did not let the margin slip below four the rest of the way.

Lavender went 8-for-8 at the line in the final minute.

The Boilermakers' comeback bid was blunted by the loss of sophomore guard Chris Kramer, who fouled out with 3:05 to go. Purdue, which scored a season-high 90 points in a first-round rout of Baylor, shot only 39 percent and was 8-for-21 from 3-point range.

Xavier started horribly, stepping into a 9-0 hole after only three minutes. The Musketeers' first six possessions featured three missed shots and three turnovers, and their defense allowed the Boilermakers to go 4-for-5 with a 3-pointer.

A steal and a three-point play by Purdue's Tarrance Crump made it 12-2, but Xavier got points from six different players in a 19-6 run that made it 21-18, and suddenly the Musketeers were the ones thrusting their fists in the air and exchanging high-fives.

It was 27-23 before reserve Marcus Green hit a 3-pointer and a driving layup to put the Boilermakers back in front. But Anderson answered with a three-point play, and a 3-pointer by Lavender just before the buzzer gave Xavier a 35-32 halftime lead.

 

 

Photo Store
Virtual Publications