Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
Miami (Ohio)
Burrell's Season-High 22 Lead Xavier Over Miami
12.11.05 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 11, 2005
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - Sophomore Stanley Burrell led the Musketeers with a season-high 22 points as Xavier University downed Miami University 75-65 at Millett Hall. XU connected on 51-percent of its field goal attempts, while knocking down 61-percent of its shots from beyond the arc. Xavier improves to 5-1 on the season with the RedHawks fall to 4-2 overall.
Justin Cage connected on his first 3-point field goal of the season at 3:07 remaining in the game to give Xavier a four-point cushion and secure the win for the blue and white. Including Cage's bucket, the Musketeers ended the game on a 9-0 run. The junior would end the game with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting and added five boards.
"Today was really a great win for our basketball team," stated Xavier head coach Sean Miller. "I thought our experience really showed in the last eight minutes of the game. The game was very deceiving by the final score because it was a hard fought game. The reason we were not down more than one at half was because of the terrific play of Stanley Burrell. He has done it before with making some tough shots and I thought he was a great player tonight."
The second half found seven ties and 13 lead changes as both teams battled back and forth. Xavier grabbed its largest lead of 10 with 42 seconds remaining in the contest. A stingy XU defense did not allow an MU field goal in the last 5:52 of the second half and secured the win.
XU has now won three straight at MU's Millett Hall but is still 6-15 when traveling to Oxford. In all five of Xavier's wins this season, the Musketeers have shot 50 percent or better from the field with the 61 percent from deep marking the highest total of the season so far. The previous best in 2005 was set against Coppin State at Cintas Center when XU finished 8-for-18 (44.4 percent).
Miami opened the game with a 10-2 run over the first 3:08 including a pair of treys from William Hatcher. Hatcher led the RedHawks in the first half with 20 points on 7-of-11 from the field including a sizzling 4-of-4 from beyond the arc.
The Musketeers responded to the early Miami assault with 9-2 run over the next 2:18 to pull to trim the RedHawk lead to 12-11 at 14:34.
XU had a pair of opportunities to take the lead going into the break but Justin Doellman's jumper from the top of the lane was just long and Will Caudle was unable to convert on his put-back attempt and the RedHawks took a 37-36 lead into the locker rooms.
Xavier limited Hatcher to just four points in the second half and held him to just 1-of-9 shooting including 0-for-4 from deep as the senior finished with a career-high 24 points. Hatcher was averaging 11.4 ppg.
XU's Brian Thornton was limited to just four minutes in the first half after he went to the bench with his second personal foul at 17:03. The senior would pick up his fourth foul with 16:04 left in the second half and finish the game playing the last 11:04 with those four personals. Over that span, Thornton provided all eight of his points and five rebounds.
Justin Doellman would lead the Musketeers on the glass as the junior picked up a team-high 10 rebounds, while adding nine points and a career-high five blocks.
The Musketeers hit a season-high 11 3-pointers and ended 11-for-18 from deep. The Musketeers previous high was eight against Coppin State and Florida A&M. The RedHawks were dialed in from the charity stripe with MU knocking down 15-of-16 free throws after entering today's game shooting 62.3 percent from the line.
Xavier will be back in action next Sunday, Dec. 18, when the Musketeers travel to Omaha, Neb. to take on the Creighton Bluejays. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. Eastern time from Qwest Center OMAHA.
-XU-
