Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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March 27, 2008

X-ed out

Xavier needs OT to advance

PHOENIX (AP) — Three-pointers saved Xavier. Missed free throws doomed West Virginia.

B.J. Raymond made two 3-pointers in the last 1:18 of overtime Thursday night and the Musketeers advanced to the West Region final with a 79-75 victory over coach Bob Huggins’ Mountaineers.

Third-seeded Xavier (30-6) will seek its first Final Four appearance when it plays the winner of the UCLA-Western Kentucky game in the regional final on Saturday.

Raymond, who had made only one field goal all night, hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Musketeers ahead 75-74 with 1:18 to play. He then shook loose on an inbounds play, took a crosscourt pass and made a 3 with the shot clock expiring with 30 seconds to go for a 78-74 lead.

Josh Duncan scored a career-high 26 points despite foul trouble to lead Xavier, which held an early 18-point lead.

Joe Alexander scored 18 and had 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers (26-11).

West Virginia missed four of six free throws in the overtime. Alexander missed one with 14.2 seconds left in regulation that would have given his team a 65-64 lead.

Xavier shot 11-for-19 on 3s while West Virginia was 1-for-11 from long range. The Mountaineers had only one worse performance on 3s this season, going 1-for-22 in a loss to Cincinnati.

Duncan was 3-of-4 on 3s, Lavender 3-of-6 and Raymond 2-of-4. Da’Sean Butler added 16 points, 14 in the second half. Alexander and Butler both fouled out in the overtime.

Huggins, in his first season at his alma mater, barely missed taking a team to the regional final for the fourth time. Xavier has been in a regional final only once, in 2004. The Musketeers have never made it to a Final Four.

Duncan drew his fourth foul with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. He came out briefly, then returned and was on the court almost the entire rest of the game. When it was over, he grabbed the ball and hurled it in to the wildly cheering Xavier booster section.

The Musketeers built a big lead at the start, but West Virginia scored the final five points of the half to cut it to 32-25 at the break, then pulled even midway through the second half.

The Mountaineers took their first lead of the game 51-50 on Butler’s 8-foot bank shot with 9:41 left.

There were six lead changes and four ties the remainder of regulation.

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