Xavier Vs. Duquesne: Muskies Embarrass Dukes 78-50

The Pitt Panthers weren't the only team in Pittsburgh suffering a blowout loss Wednesday night, as the Duquesne Dukes were manhandled by the Xavier Musketeers 78-50 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

Xavier showed signs of shaking off their post-brawl struggles as four players scored in double figures, led by 16 points and six dunks from Dez Wells. The potent guard play of the Muskies, led by star Tu Holloway, was too much for the Dukes to handle.

"Their guards got their team great shots on almost every possession," Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart said. "We just let them do what they wanted to do. Everything they did was off dribble penetration."

Xavier also flashed their dominance in the paint, outrebounding the Dukes 40-29 while scoring 54 points in the paint to Duquesne's 28.

The Musketeers had no problems putting the ball in the hoop, shooting a hot 57.1 percent from the floor. Duquesne on the other hand struggled mightily, posting a field goal percentage of 35.2 percent while shooting 2-of-16 from behind the three-point arc.

Sean Johnson was the only Duke to hit double figures, scoing 12 on the night.

The game was over shortly after it started, with Xavier jumping out to a comfortable 27-14 lead before a 17-2 run to end the half turned the contest into a laugher with the Dukes trailing 44-16. In the second half, the Dukes would come no closer than 21 the rest of the way.

The Dukes will need to recover before their next game, a tilt with the Rhode Island Rams Saturday at 2:00 P.M. in Kingston, R.I. They are still awaiting word on whether forward B.J. Monteiro will be available for the game, as he has been sidelined with an injury since an off-court incident on New Year's Eve.