DAYTON, OH (3/10/04) -- Saint Joseph's fans hoping for an upset in the opening-round Atlantic 10 Tournament game between Xavier and St.
Bonaventure didn't have to wait long to learn whether their wish had been granted. Click here for game notes.
The Musketeers dominated the game from the opening tip, thumping the
Bonnies, 90-64, on Wednesday to set up a quarterfinal matchup with the
Hawks Thursday at noon.
Barely breaking a sweat, Xavier never trailed. Center Anthony Myles
notched a career-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while four other
Musketeers scored in double figures. Norristown's Marques Green, the
Bonnies' shifty point guard, closed his college career with 10 points on
3-of-12 shooting.
Waiting in the wings are the No. 1 Hawks, who haven't played since last
Tuesday's Senior Night demolition of St. Bonaventure.
"We're playing the best team in college basketball," said Xavier head
coach Thad Matta. "It's something that, as a competitor and a player,
you
look forward to. These guys are really, really good. As everyone in
college basketball is, they're on a mission. Their mission -- and
they're
the only ones who can say this -- is that they're trying to stay
undefeated."
As the higher seeded team, Saint Joseph's will wear its home whites, yet
the matchup will be all but a home game for Cincinnati-based Xavier. But
Hawks fans can take solace in SJU's performance the last time the teams
met, on Jan. 17 at the Musketeers' Cintas Center. In front of a hostile
sellout crowd, Saint Joseph's overcame a six-point halftime deficit to
post an 81-73 victory. Junior Delonte West made every shot he took -- 12
from the field, three from the arc, and six from the line -- for a
career-high 33 points on the afternoon, while senior Jameer Nelson
poured
in 28.
Xavier's Lionel Chalmers pointed out that both teams have developed
since
mid-January. "That's in the past," he said. "It'll be two different
teams
out there tomorrow."
As Chalmers noted, the chance to knock off the nation's top-ranked team
is
something every Saint Joseph's opponent will crave.
"They're the No. 1 team in the country," he said. "They're 27-0. If
you're
not aware of the opportunity there, something's wrong."
Of course, the Hawks are well aware of their own opportunities.
