Dec 3, 2002
Purdue-Xavier Statistics in PDF Format
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By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI - Lionel Chalmers scored 24 points, repeatedly squeezing through cracks in Purdue's front line, and David West added 18 Tuesday night as No. 16 Xavier rolled to a 74-59 victory.
Xavier (3-1) led by double digits midway through the first half and was never seriously threatened. Chalmers steadied a balanced offense that took full advantage of the Boilermakers' defensive strategy.
Purdue (2-1) focused on Romain Sato, putting its best defenders on Xavier's top outside shooter. Sato, who averages 18 points a game, didn't score and hardly touched the ball in the first half.
Chalmers, West and Anthony Myles took advantage by finding open shots. Myles hit his first four attempts as Xavier pulled ahead by 15, and the Musketeers shot 54.5 percent from the field in the first half.
Purdue fell behind by as many as 21 points as it extended its streak of losses against ranked teams. The Boilermakers have won only one of their last 11 games against ranked opponents.
Willie Deane scored 21 points for Purdue, which never figured out how to use its advantages in size and depth.
Xavier clamped onto the bigger Boilermakers with its man-to-man defense, forcing hurried shots and 15 turnovers. Early in the second half, Purdue was down by 21 points and shooting only 36 percent from the field.
Sato's 3-pointer - his first basket of the game - pushed the lead to 20 points for the first time. Sato finished with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Two plays set the tone and revved the capacity crowd.
Purdue got a 4-on-1 break early in the game, but West held his ground and blocked the shot. West had three blocks and nine rebounds, helping Xavier dominate the boards 37-28.
With 5:59 left in the first half, 6-foot-11 center Ivan Kartelo tried to drive for a layup, but Keith Jackson grabbed the ball just as he left the floor. The referees called a jump ball, and Kartelo landed awkwardly, extending his right elbow backward.
Kartelo rolled on his back, his mouth open and his face etched with pain, as trainers looked as his misshapen elbow. After a couple of minutes, he walked off the court and went for treatment.
Kartelo spent the second half on the bench with his arm in a sling.