The Rams are led by senior guard Jermaine Anderson and sophomore forward Bryant Dunston, who each average over 16 points per game. Anderson is second in the conference in three-point shooting, shooting 45.1 percent from beyond the arc, and first in the conference in free-throw percentage, shooting almost 91 percent from the line. Dunston, who also leads the team in rebounds with 7.4 per game, has averaged nearly 27 points and 10 rebounds over the Rams’ last three games.

Last week, sophomore guard Marcus Stout was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week after scoring 32 points and shooting a gaudy 73.3 percent from the field in the Rams’ 79-76 double overtime victory over Rhode Island.

The Rams are coached by third-season head coach Dereck Whittenburg, whose record at Fordham is less than stellar, as the Rams are 31-49 with him at the helm. Despite being ranked second in the conference, Fordham’s overall record is just 12-11, including a 36-point loss to Notre Dame.

This is the first time Fordham has had a winning record at this point in the season since being 12-11 in the 2000-01 season.

Xavier faces a difficult challenge in Wednesday’s game against Fordham. The Rams are streaking and the Musketeers are stumbling. Having lost five of their last seven games and their leading scorer to a season-ending ankle break, Xavier is looking for a reason to stay positive entering the remaining two games of a three game home-stand.

Tonight’s game will likely be a tougher contest than Xavier is used to against Fordham. The Musketeers have won 11 of the teams’ 12 prior meetings, but this year Fordham is tied for second in the Atlantic 10, having won four straight games against A-10 opponents.

While the loss of senior Brian Thornton is a serious blow to the Musketeers, Fordham’s style of play lessens the impact of his absence. The Rams are not known for having a strong post presence, and are becoming increasingly reliant on the three-point shot. Xavier’s defense of the three is one of the best in the conference, as they have held opponents to just 31 percent from beyond the arc.

Xavier turned the ball over just nine times against LaSalle, their lowest turnover total in the past 10 games. The Musketeers will again need to keep the turnovers to a minimum, as Fordham is 9-2 when they turn the ball over less than their opponents.

Xavier in Review

Feb. 11 - Cintas Center
LaSalle 79, Xavier 70

The Xavier Musketeers suffered yet another loss on Saturday, their fifth in their last seven games, this time falling 79-70 to LaSalle in a contest that brought senior forward Brian Thornton’s season to a painful close.

Trailing by 15 with 11 minutes to play, Xavier rallied and cut the lead to two, with sophomore guard Stanley Burrell seemingly able to score at will. But the Musketeers’ shooting woes returned, and Xavier made just one field goal in the final four minutes of the game. LaSalle clinched the win during that time, missing just two of 12 free throws.

The Musketeers were led by Burrell, who scored 15 points, while Josh Duncan also reached double-figures with 13 points on 4-of-10 from the field. Junior forward Justin Doellman led Xavier in rebounding with eight.

LaSalle relied on NBA-bound senior forward Steven Smith, who added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Explorers.

Scouting the Minutewomen

It’s home sweet home for the Musketeers (17-7, 8-5) as they return to Victory Parkway for the final three games of the regular season.

A-10 Co-Player of the Week Tara Boothe averaged 22.5 points and pulled down 9.5 rebounds over the past weekend at Fordham and LaSalle. Boothe, a Wooden Award candidate for National Player of the Year, inched closer to the top mark in another category: rebounding. Tara finds herself just 28 rebounds short of Linda Bihn’s all-time school mark of 968.

Guard Suntana Granderson broke out of a recent shooting slump over the weekend, hitting 47 percent (9-19) from long range. The junior from South Bend, Ind. averaged 19 points and five rebounds.

The Muskies now have home-court advantage as they search for a first round bye at the A-10 Tournament in Philadelphia. The team has recorded a 66-19 record at Cintas Center since the venue opened in 2000.

According to collegerpi.com, Xavier’s RPI currently stands at 60. If they win out, their RPI would be in the mid-40s, putting them on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament birth.

The Minutewomen of UMass braved the cold and snow last weekend, but they enter Cintas Center as one of the A-10’s hottest teams, having won six of their last seven games.

Super sophomore Pam Rosanio continues to build off her freshman campaign, which included a spot on the A-10 Rookie team. Rosanio leads UMass in points (12.7 per game) and minutes, and is the only player to start in every game for the Minutewomen this season.

Up front, UMass boasts a talented pair of forwards in sophomore Katie Mills and junior Tamara Tatham. Both at 6-foot-1, Mills and Tatham combine to pull down over 10 rebounds per contest while accounting for 40 percent of UMass’ points.

The heart and soul of this team revolves around senior guard Katie Nelson. Nelson, a four-year starter, returned from a knee injury last season and picked up right where she left off, leading the Minutewomen in assists (3.6 per game). She has been playing even better as of late, recording a career-high 10 assists against St. Joes on Feb. 2.

The Muskies will be challenged on the glass, as UMass ranks third in the A-10 in defensive rebounding, pulling down 35 boards per game.

Xavier in Review