Sat Feb 2 23:08:06 2008

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Balanced attack for Xavier in win over La Salle

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Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - C.J. Anderson led six Xavier players in double figures with 16 points, and the 15th-ranked Musketeers held off La Salle, 75-62, at the Cintas Center.

Josh Duncan had 12 points, and Derrick Brown and Stanley Burrell each scored 11 for Xavier (18-4, 6-1 Atlantic 10), which has won four in a row. Drew Lavender and Jason Love each had 10 points in the win.

Rodney Green finished with 18 points, and Jerrell Williams had 16 points for La Salle (8-12, 3-4), which has lost three of four. Yves Mekongo Mbala scored 13 points and collected 11 rebounds in the loss.

Neither team led by more than five points until Xavier scored seven straight points late in the first half. Anderson made a jumper, Lavender drained a three, and Anderson added a layup.

The run put Xavier ahead 33-24 with 4:01 left, and the Musketeers took a 37-30 lead into halftime.

Less than five minutes into the second half, the Musketeers extended the margin to double digits, as Anderson and Lavender had back-to-back buckets for a 48-35 Xavier lead.

The Explorers didn't significantly cut into Xavier's lead until there was 8:40 remaining, when Mekongo Mbala scored five straight points. He drained a three, then made 2-of-3 free throws to bring La Salle within 59-55.

But B.J. Raymond answered with a three for Xavier, and La Salle could get no closer. The Musketeers' lead was back up to double digits with 2:10 left, when Brown had a three-point play to put his team up 70-60. Xavier cruised from there.

Game Notes

Xavier leads the all-time series 28-6...La Salle shot 42.6 percent from the field, while Xavier had a 46.2 percent mark...The Musketeers won by a similar score, 76-65, last year at La Salle...Anderson had three blocks.