Xavier pounds La Salle

CINCINNATI, OH. — No one can question Jeff Robinson’s ability to take advantage of an opportunity.

On a night of career highs, Xavier’s sophomore forward made the biggest impression.

In his first start since December ninth, Robinson scored 22 points, and Tu Holloway paced a selfless offense as the Xavier Musketeers drubbed the La Salle Explorers 100-62 in Atlantic 10 action at the Cintas Center on Tuesday night.

By the time Robinson slashed to the basket, caught a Kenny Frease pass-and let go a rim rattling tomahawk jam, the game was well in hand for the Musketeers with 3:57 remaining…in the first half.

Robinson finished the first half with 13 points and Holloway added 12 to go with eight assists as the Musketeers led 52-20 at the break.

Robinson reflected on the energy he has shown in recent practices and games. “We just changed up the lineup a little bit. I guess the coaches had the confidence in me to start.”

The Indianapolis, Indiana native made good on his chance pacing the Musketeers to an early 12-2 lead. He started with a pair of free throws. Two trips later, Robinson jammed home a Jamel McLean miss.

Then came the dunk. Frease dribbled out of the right post creating a cavernous gap in the lane where Robinson made his cut. Frease, like he has done so many times this season, delivered a post-to-post pass that Robinson caught in stride with no Explorer defenders to be found.

Frease mused: “I told him after that big dunk, thanks for giving me a top-ten assist.”

Then Holloway fed Robinson just outside the paint on the right side. The 6’9″ Robinson made a front pivot on his right foot and lunged to the basket putting the ball off the window for a 10-2 Xavier lead.

On the defensive end, Robinson blocked a Jerrell Williams shot. Mark Lyons led the break. Holloway fed Frease who finished with a baseline jumper.

“Jeff Robinson was as good as I have ever seen him,” head coach Chris Mack said. “Jeff made a nice little statement in terms of he likes to start.”

Xavier led by ten at the first timeout, 12-2.

The Musketeers continued from there. Frease flashed into the middle of the lane. Lyons delivered a bounce pass, and the 7′ center played high-low with McLean for the bucket.

Dante Jackson made it 19-4 when Holloway found him open in early offense for the trey.

The Explorers gave the Musketeers a variety of defensive looks.

After starting the game in half court man-to-man, La Salle tried full-court pressure. The Muskies responded. Robinson caught the inbound and passed to Lyons who busted up the middle of the floor and dished to McLean for the lay up.

Lyons scored the next four points going the length of the court on back-to-back possessions.

After another timeout, La Salle adjusted to a 1-2-2 half court trap intended to double-team the first pass.

Holloway found Robinson 12 feet from the basket for the baseline jumper.

Next time down the floor, Holloway set up Lyons with an open look from behind the arc, and the red-shirt sophomore connected.

“Our energy early combined with our togetherness on offense and sharing the ball  and being an inside-out team first and foremost I thought really took the wind out of La Salle’s sails,” Mack commented. “We shared the ball extremely well. It was certainly our night, tonight.”

Holloway dished out a career-high 15 assists and finished one rebound shy of his second straight triple-double.

“I really wanted it. I’m not going to lie,” Holloway explained. “It’s rare that a player could get a triple-double in their career, and I was actually going for my third one tonight, but we got the win.”

Holloway came out of the game with 2:36 remaining.

“I was conflicted,” Mack said. “If you polled the people in the Cintas Center, 5,000 people would say keep him in; 5,000 people would say taking him out was the right thing to do. I’m the guy who has to make the decision. So, I tick off 5,000 people, and 5,000 people say – ‘great job, right thing to do.’ I don’t know what the right thing to do is.”

The junior point guard went 6-of-6 from the free throw line to break the Xavier single-season mark previously held by David West. Holloway has connected 210 times from the charity stripe this season.

The Musketeers went 15-for-15 from the line as a team.

Xavier held the Explorers to 24 percent from the field in the first half and 35.8 percent for the game.

La Salle’s leading scorer, Aaric Murray,  came into the game averaging more than 15 points per game. The Musketeers held the sophomore center to five points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Xavier outrebounded La Salle 36-22.

The Musketeers went 35-for-56 with 30 assists.

“The thing that really sticks out in my mind is 30 assists with 35 field goals,” Mack noted. “I don’t know if I have ever seen that before.”

Xavier led La Salle by 20 last year before the Explorers came back to regain the lead. Xavier eventually won 68-62.

“We got respect for La Salle,” Holloway said. “We know they got a pretty good team. Their record doesn’t show it. They got tough Philly kids and weren’t going to let up.”

Jay Canty also had a career-high with 10 points.

Lyons added 15. McLean had 12, and Frease finished with 10.  Frease and Holloway each had a game-high nine rebounds.

La Salle falls to 4-and-9 in the A10 and 12-and-16 overall. The Explorers host UMass on Sunday.

Xavier improves to 12-and-1 in the conference and 21-and-6 overall. The Musketeers make the trip north on I-75 to play Dayton on Sunday.