Three weeks ago, Alvin Brown gathered his Xavier teammates and pulled out his 1998 Atlantic 10 championship ring. “This is what we're after,” he said.

        Sunday, the fifth-year senior chose the hands-on demonstration. His play off the bench powered XU to an 80-66 victory at Duquesne that clinched the A-10 West Division title outright.

        Brown totaled a season-high 10 points and a career-high six assists, adding four rebounds and three steals with no turnovers. In the process, XU may have lengthened its rotation.

        “I've been here for five years, so I've been in different situations where I've had to come in and give a spark,” Brown said. “I really wanted to win this game, because I'm the only person on the team that's won the West so far.”

        In A-10 play, seven Musketeers have played regularly. Brown was the eighth man, averaging 5.3 minutes before Sunday — down from 11.7 in non-league play.

        XU coach Thad Matta said Brown's disappearance was a result of the quantum leap in the play of Romain Sato, whom Brown backs up.

        “I know that when somebody's hot, they should be playing,” Brown said.

        When Matta called for Brown against George Washington on Feb.14, with Sato was on his way to a career-high 34 points, Brown told his coach, “Hey, let's leave "Sat' in and see if he can't get 40.”

        Yet XU needed no unselfishness Sunday. Sato drew two fouls in the first 6:35 and sat down the rest of the half. Brown had five points and five assists during a breathtaking 26-2 run that won the game.

        “He has continued to get better, so I know he can really help us down the stretch,” Matta said.

        Brown (2.2 ppg) has made 40 percent of his 3-pointers (8-of-20). His 23 assists and 10 turnovers represent the best ratio on the team.

        Brown completed his finance degree last May and is pursuing a second degree in information systems. He said he has business opportunities already lined up back home in Washington, D.C. He has had the same girlfriend for five years.

        “Here's a guy who's already got a job the day he leaves campus,” Matta said. “He's going to be making more money than all of us. He's special.”

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