XU NOTEBOOK

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Meet the press

Saturday, November 28, 1998

BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Today is the first time this season Xavier faces full-court pressure from beginning to end.

That's what the Musketeers coaches are expecting from the University of San Francisco.

The Dons were ahead of 10th-ranked UCLA 40-36 at halftime Thursday night in their first game at the Puerto Rico Shootout before the Bruins rallied for a 69-62 victory.

''They're a little bit like us,'' said Xavier assistant coach Jeff Battle, who scouted USF. ''They're a little bit undersized, their full-court pressure is always in your face, they play hard and they have good athletes.''

The Xavier coaches, who were watching film of Colorado until almost 2 a.m. Friday, stayed to see San Francisco's victory over American University of Puerto Rico Friday night.

WHEW: With its victory over Colorado, Xavier avoided losing consecutive games for the first time since late in the 1995-96 season.

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