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XU's Final Four Hopes Dashed by UCLA
By
Jay Skeldon,
3/30/2008
The No. 3 Xavier Musketeers' historical season came to a close against No. 1 seed UCLA in the West Region Finals of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday evening. After having defeated Georgia, Purdue, and West Virginia in the first three rounds of the Big Dance, Xavier collided with a Bruins squad that proved to be just too big and talented as UCLA knocked off X, 76-57. Derrick Brown led all Muskies with 13 points and six rebounds in the defeat. Xavier finishes its 2007-08 campaign at 30-7 overall, while UCLA (35-3) advances to the Final Four to face Memphis.
Coming into the game, XU knew it would need to play nearly perfect to defeat goliath - UCLA. Unfortunately, due to the defensive pressure and the sheer size and strength of the Bruins, Xavier was unable to do that. X was frigid from the field, shooting just 36.2 percent overall (21-of-58) including 4-of-19 from behind the arc (21.1 percent). The team also did not convert at the foul line as it made 11-of-16 free throws for 68.8 percent - around seven percent below its season average.
On the defensive end of the court, Xavier had no answers in trying to stop UCLA's highly potent offense. Four Bruins scored in double figures including a game-high 19 points each by point guard Darren Collison and freshman phenom Kevin Love. Love dominated inside and outside, finishing 7-of-11 from the field including 2-of-4 from behind the 3-pointe line. He also added 10 boards in the win.
Russell Westbrook (17 points) and Luc Ri Mbah a Moute (13 points, 13 rebounds) rounded out the double figures scorers.
In addition to Derrick Brown's team-high output, which included five high flying jams, the Musketeers were led two other players in double figures scoring -- Josh Duncan (11 points) and C.J. Anderson (10 points). Senior guards Stanley Burrell added eight points and three assists, while Drew Lavender kicked in five points and distributed six assists.
Josh Duncan, who averaged 18.25 ppg and 5.25 rpg during four games in the NCAA Tournament, was picked as a member of the West Region All-Tournament Team.
Though the seniors -- Duncan, Burrell, and Lavender -- did not finish the season as they may have dreamed, their legacy left on the school, program, and fans is sizeable indeed. Above and beyond their individual accolades and achievements -- with included 1,000+ point career outputs by each -- the seniors showed what it meant to be true teammates and leaders, selflessly putting the team above all else to lead Xavier to a school record 30 win season.
Video Highlights | Box Score | Updated Brackets
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