Xavier beats Saint Joe's

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes


DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- From perfect to pummeled.

Saint Joseph's first game as the nation's No. 1 team was also its first loss of the season, a shocking 87-67 collapse against unranked Xavier in the Atlantic-10 quarterfinals Thursday.

The Hawks came in with a 27-0 record, three victories from becoming the first team since 1991 to enter the NCAA tournament undefeated. But they trailed Xavier by as many as 37 points, and the upset raises questions about how serious a contender the tiny Philadelphia school will be for the national championship.

The rout also tarnishes a magical run by a team that was one of the biggest surprises in sports this year, and it could cost Saint Joseph's a top seeding at the NCAAs.

It's the worst loss ever by a No. 1 team against an unranked team. A partisan crowd began rubbing it in midway through the second half, chanting "Sloppy Joe's!"

Romain Sato led Xavier with 24 points and 11 rebounds, while Lionel Chalmers scored 23, and Anthony Myles 19.

Saint Joseph's star backcourt of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West were held to a combined 11-for-35 shooting, and they scored 16 points each. Xavier (21-10) made 71.1 percent of its shots, while holding Saint Joseph's to 35.4 percent -- its worst showing all season.

At one point, Saint Joseph's was limited to one field goal over more than 10 minutes. And the Hawks' biggest weakness, their inside game, was exposed by the Muskateers, who outrebounded Saint Joseph's 43-18.

Playing less than an hour from its campus, Xavier faces Rhode Island or George Washington in the semifinals Friday night.

Nelson was booed loudly after confronting Xavier's Justin Doellman in the final minutes. Nelson hit the floor hard on an attempted dunk with Doellman in his face and took several seconds to get up. When the senior guard rose, he ran to the other end and glared at Doellman while fans called for a technical.

Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli put an arm around Nelson's neck as he spoke to him, then replaced him in the lineup. The Hawks trailed by 26 points with three minutes left: The outcome was clear.

The Musketeers -- who lost at home to the Hawks 81-73 in January -- scored nearly at will from the start, with Sato and Chalmers slashing to the basket.

Already ahead 25-16 with just over six minutes left in the first half, the Musketeers went on an 18-5 run until the intermission, with Sato and Chalmers combining for 11 points.

The Hawks' 21 points and 28.6 shooting percentage in the opening 20 minutes were their worst production in a half this season. Saint Joseph's then failed to score in the first four minutes of the second half, and the Musketeers went up 51-21.

Over a span of 10:56, the Hawks hit one of 11 shots from the field and had three turnovers while being outscored 26-5.

Nelson had his worst game of the season, going just 7-for-21 from the field, including 1-for-8 on 3-pointers. By contrast, Chalmers, Sato and Myles were 25-for-34.

[Moz]

chokers!!!!!