Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 1 Xavier dominated the second half against No. 8 Dayton to win 72-51. Senior Justin Doellman led five Musketeers into double figures. He finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Xavier shot better than 50 percent from the field and held off the Flyers by hitting 15-of-19 free throws. Dayton led early but couldn’t keep the momentum going for long. Junior Brian Roberts led all scorers with 22 points.
In a game filled with runs, No. 4 Rhode Island had the last big run to beat No. 5 Fordham 73-69. The Rams needed a late layup by Jimmy Baron, who scored only seven points in the game, to take the lead. An unforced turnover spoiled Fordham’s bid for an upset. Will Daniels led Rhode Island with 21 points. The Rams move forward to play Xavier in the semifinals.
No. 7 St. Louis provided the first upset of the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals by beating No. 2 Massachusetts 74-71 in overtime. Tommie Liddell scored 24 to lead the Billikens, and center Ian Vouyoukas added 21 points. St. Louis erased an eight-point halftime deficit within minutes of the second half’s start. The teams battled throughout the second half, leading to overtime. St. Louis built a quick seven-point lead to start overtime and then survived a Massachusetts rally and final potental game-tying three-pointer as time expired.
No. 3 George Washington moved closer to its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament by beating No. 6 Saint Joseph’s 58-48. The Colonials played dominant defense, holding the Hawks to less than 25 percent shooting from the field. Maureece Rice led George Washington with 16 points. The Colonials will play No. 7 St. Louis in the semifinals. [3/08/07]
