PHILADELPHIA — David West's eyes were wet. This one was personal.

        “I take this one on me,” the Xavier sophomore center said after XU's 79-76 loss at St. Joseph's. “My teammates were counting on me and I couldn't get it done.”

        West had a string of eight consecutive double-doubles end Wednesday. He totaled 13 points and seven rebounds but shot just 5-for-13 and had four turnovers. Averaging 9.4 free throw attempts a game, he got to the line just three times Wednesday.

        “I guess I wasn't getting the calls I normally get, and I got frustrated,” West said. “I wasn't finishing plays. If I'd done my job like I was supposed to, we'd be in first place.”

        Damian Reid and Alexandre Sazonov were assigned specifically to defend West, and West was the focus of several double-teams.

        West also sat out a few key minutes of the second half after being hit in the groin.

        “West is a hard-fighting dude,” St. Joe's coach Phil Martelli said. “Damian and Alex both made him know they were out there. They used nine of their 10 fouls on him.”

        Said XU coach Skip Prosser: “They did a good job on him. Sazonov is a big kid (7-foot-1) and he's tough to shoot over.”

        3-POINT STRUGGLES: Xavier still struggles shooting 3-pointers. The good news: Its opponents struggle more.

        XU's 3-point shooting has gradually improved — it's up to .314 — but is still on pace to be its worst mark in the 15 seasons the NCAA has included the long-distance shot. Its previous worst was .334 in 1993-94.

        But its .298 3-point field-goal defense is on pace to be the best by an XU team.

        “We really put an em phasis on guarding the 3-point line,” said Jeff Battle, XU's assistant coach in charge of the backcourt. “If we get two (points) and they get three, they're going to come out on top.”

        XU's outside shooting was woeful early in the season, but Lionel Chalmers' game-winning 3-pointer against Toledo at the buzzer represented a turning point. XU was 56-of-208 (.269) on 3s before the Chalmers shot and is 78-of-219 (.356) since.

        Head coach Skip Prosser has said he felt XU relied too much on perimeter play the past two seasons. It averaged 21.9 3-point attempts in 1998-99 and 19.0 last season, missing the NCAA Tournament both times.

        Despite the stated intent to pound the ball inside, XU is averaging 20.2 attempts from 3-point range. Opponents' emphasis on slowing West inside has meant more opportunities outside.

        X-FILES: West ranks fourth nationally in the latest NCAA rebounding stats (11.3 avg.), through games played Monday.

        • St. Joe's freshman point guard Jameer Nelson totaled 15 points, eight assists and no turnovers.

        UP NEXT: XU plays host to Temple (13-10, 7-2 A-10) at noon Saturday in a game televised by ESPN.

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