There was plenty made in preseason about Xavier's frontcourt being its strength. David West was an All-American candidate and Kevin Frey a four-year starter.

        Yet in the Atlantic 10 season, it's the backcourt that's been bullish. XU's improving perimeter play powered an 89-75 victory Thursday over visiting George Washington.

        Sophomore guard Romain Sato scored a career-high 34 points Thursday, and fellow wing players Dave Young (16 points, career-high eight rebounds) and Lionel Chalmers (12 points, five assists) helped the hot shooting. XU was 10-of-23 (43.5 percent) on 3-pointers.

        “We're young. We're not going to get as much press as anybody,” Chalmers said of the guards. “But we'll play hard. It'll come.”

        As A-10 opponents have played zone defense to unprecedented degrees, it has been up to XU's perimeter players to make them pay. The Musketeers have shot 38.7 percent on 3-pointers in league play, second-best in the A-10 and a big improvement upon the 32.6 percent they shot in non-conference action.

        “They're playing good,” XU coach Thad Matta said of his guards. “They're getting a better understanding of how to play off each other.”

        XU (18-4) improved to 10-1 in A-10 play and has sole possession of the league's best record. The next closest pursuer, East Division leader Saint Joseph's (15-8, 9-2) visits XU on Saturday.

        Sato made 11 of 17 shots Thursday, including six of 11 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds and five assists. He also blanketed GW star Chris Monroe (21.8 ppg), holding him to 14 points on 4-of-11 shooting — 18 points fewer than he scored last month against XU.

        Sato's point total, a Cintas Center record, was the highest single-game point total for a Musketeer since Lenny Brown scored 34 against Oregon in the National Invitation Tournament third-place game on March 25, 1999. It matched the second-highest single-game total ever by an XU sophomore.

        “I feel good tonight,” Sato said. “Coach just called the plays. ... My teammates were getting me the ball.”

        Sato has totaled 57 points in two meetings this season with GW.

        His improved play has coincided with the increased focus teams have taken toward slowing West.

        Sato has averaged 20.5 points in league play, third-best in the A-10, and his 53.6 percent field goal shooting in A-10 games is the league's best. He is shooting 47.6 percent on 3-pointers during league play, which is third-best.

        “Those guys can really play,” GW coach Karl Hobbs said of XU's guards.

        “Sato has an NBA body. Chalmers, in my opinion, is the most underrated point guard in this league.

        “We had to make a decision. Do we take away the inside and give up the outside? We made that decision, and Sato had a terrific, terrific game. And that's why they're a good basketball team.”

        It's worth recalling that Sato, who is averaging 16.1 points on the season, averaged just 11.6 points in the nonconference season.

        Thursday, XU shot 51.6 percent overall and had five double-figure scorers but needed some time to put away the Colonials (10-13, 3-9 A-10), who are on an eight-game losing streak. XU led by just eight points with a little more than eight minutes remaining before a 7-0 run ended further suspense.

        West totaled 11 points and nine rebounds. Frey added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.

        But Sato was the story.

        “When I watched him on tape this summer, you saw great signs,” Matta said. “I was thinking, "He can get so much better.' And he has.”

        NOTEWORTHY:

        West has been named first team All-District 10 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Box Score

GEO WASHINGTON (75)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Monroe          33  4-11   5-5   1-2  2  3   14
Smith           36  6-17   3-4   5-6  0  3   15
Thompson        31  7-12   0-0   1-4  4  0   17
Miller          32   0-5   1-2   3-5  9  2    1
Collucci        32   5-7   0-0   0-4  1  2   13
Roma             2   0-1   0-0   0-1  0  2    0
Chandler         4   0-0   0-0   0-1  0  0    0
Scott            7   1-3   0-2   1-2  0  2    2
Forchion        23  6-11   1-1   4-4  1  4   13
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 29-67 10-14 15-29 17 18   75
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.433, FT-.714. 3-Point Goals:
7-15, .467 (Monroe 1-3, Thompson 3-5, Miller 0-2,
Collucci 3-5). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 3
(Monroe, Smith, Forchion). Turnovers: 11
(Thompson 5, Monroe 2, Smith 2, Forchion,
Miller). Steals: 3 (Collucci 2, Scott).


XAVIER (89)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Frey            34  4-13   3-4   1-6  5  3   11
Young           33   5-8   5-9   4-8  3  1   16
West            30  5-10   0-0   2-9  0  4   11
Chalmers        37  5-10   0-0   0-1  5  1   12
Sato            39 11-17   6-7   5-7  5  2   34
Williams         3   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Coleman          7   1-2   0-0   0-0  0  2    2
Brown            1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Jackson         15   1-2   1-2   3-3  0  0    3
Baronas          1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 32-62 15-22 15-34 18 13   89
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.516, FT-.682. 3-Point Goals:
10-23, .435 (Frey 0-2, Young 1-2, West 1-2,
Chalmers 2-6, Sato 6-11). Team rebounds: 5.
Blocked shots: 6 (West 2, Young, Frey, Sato,
Coleman). Turnovers: 12 (West 4, Chalmers 3,
Young 2, Coleman, Sato, Williams). Steals: 5
(Chalmers 2, Sato, West, Young).
__________________________________
Geo Washington     35   40  -   75
Xavier             41   48  -   89
__________________________________
Technical fouls: Geo Washington 1 (Smith). 
Xavier 1 (West).  A: 10,250. Officials: Tim
Higgins, Jim Jenkins, Frank Scagliotta.

       

---

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