Monday, March 05, 2001
Xavier Notebook
Chalmers can't repeat winning shot
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DAYTON, Ohio — Miracles don't Xerox well. And so Xavier rookie guard Lionel Chalmers couldn't deliver Sunday as he had with his game-winning shot at the buzzer at Toledo.
“If he makes the shots, he's the hero,” XU assistant coach Jeff Battle said. “But the game doesn't come down to Lionel Chalmers' shot. There's a lot of stuff that happened in between.”
Chalmers was 0-for-4 in the final five minutes Sunday, with his last two shots coming in the final 10 seconds. The first came with XU trailing 62-60; Chalmers took an inbounds pass with the shot clock winding down and missed a driving layup.
“They threw two guys at me, so I had to go (to the basket),” Chalmers said. “I just missed it.”
XU coach Skip Prosser had hoped for a better shot.
“We had things drawn up,” he said. “If two guys are on you, there's probably somebody open.”
Chalmers' final shot was a prayer. Down 65-62 with 3.3 seconds left, he raced upcourt and his half-court shot bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Chalmers accepted blame for missing the shot with 10 seconds left. Prosser said he didn't pin blame on Chalmers but didn't excuse the heavily guarded shot just because Chalmers is a first-year player.
“He's played 27 games,” Prosser said. “That rookie stuff is not applicable in my opinion.”
FORWARDS FAIL: Prosser has said his junior forwards, Kevin Frey and Lloyd Price, are the barometers of his team. They both fit that bill Sunday in a losing effort.
Frey scored four points and Price just two, their lowest combined output this season. Both were in foul trouble throughout. Frey averages 12.9 points in victories, 6.0 in losses. Price averages 9.7 points in victories, 6.2 in losses.
“That's the difference when I get in foul trouble,” Price said. “My main focus was really trying to guard Tony (Stanley).”
Price held UD's leading scorer to four points on 1-for-11 shooting. But he was ineffective on offense, and Prosser removed him from the game for the last 2:06.
Frey's production continues to seem essential. This season and last, XU is 26-2 when he scores in double figures, 17-15 when he doesn't.
X-FILES: XU had one steal Sunday, its lowest total of the season. ... David West recorded his 19th double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds.UP NEXT: XU opens play in the Atlantic 10 Tournament at 9 p.m. Thursday in Philadelphia with a quarterfinal game ESPN2) against the winner of Wednesday's George Washington-Duquesne game.
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Chalmers can't repeat winning shot
