Lionel Chalmers is sandwiched by two LaSalle players. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Xavier coach Skip Prosser still can't be sure what he'll get from individual Musketeers each time out. The only thing he's getting consistently is victories.

        XU has 11 of them, including six in a row, after an 81-66 beating of La Salle on Sunday at Cintas Center.

        “If this team has a personality, we have several,” Prosser said. “It's like Sybil. But we've found ways to win with (different) guys making contributions.”

        XU (11-2, 2-0 Atlantic 10) is bullish when it's balanced. In all 11 victories, it has had three or more double-figure scorers.

        While David West is almost always one of them — his career-high 25 points Sunday with 14 rebounds marked his seventh double- double — seven other Musketeers have scored in double figures this year.

        Sunday, it was freshman Romain Sato scoring a career-high 19 points, and senior Maurice McAfee totaling a career-high 12 assists with 12 points. XU had assists on 21 of its 26 baskets, matching a season high.

        “Maurice's line was excellent,” Prosser said. “Lloyd (Price) had an excellent line, as did Kevin (Frey; both had nine points and eight rebounds). Twenty-one assists is reflective of unselfish play.”

Romain Sato. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        The 11-2 start matches the marks of the 1994-95 and '96-97 teams as XU's best after 13 games in Prosser's seven seasons. Both those teams reached the NCAA Tournament.

        A cautionary tale: The only time in the last 10 seasons it had a better start — 12-1 in 1993-94 — it fizzled and landed in the NIT. But this group is excelling against a stronger schedule than that team had in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

        “The (NCAA) Tournament is far down the road, so it's hard to predict that one yet,” McAfee said. “But I will say we're hitting on a lot of cylinders right now.”

        West's last month has been brilliant, and La Salle (6-7, 0-2) was the latest witness to his talent. The sophomore center has averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds in the past seven games. Sunday, he shot 9-for-11 and added three blocks, three steals and an assist.

        Just as critical was the outside shooting. XU's eight 3-pointers were the second- most in a game this season. Sato's 5-for-8 shooting from that range prevented the Explorers from devoting too much attention to West inside.

        “In the first half, they came down hard on Dave, hard on Kevin, hard on Reggie (Butler),” Prosser said. “Obviously if you make a jump shot, it loosens all that up.”

David West (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        Sato hadn't had a big scoring night since he scored 14 points Dec. 14 at Cincinnati. He had devoted extra attention to his defense, which had lagged early in the season, but his improvement there had come at the expense of his offense.

        “Coach told me, "You're playing aggressive on defense now, and I need you to be aggressive on offense, too,'” Sato said. “Any of us can score, and that's what's good for the chemistry for the team.

        “Dave West can score all the time. But if people double(-team) Dave West, he kicks it outside to us.”

        Sato could be a critical link for a team still seeking consistency in perimeter shooting. His shot has been described as the sweetest of any Musketeer, and his 3-point percentage (.350) is best on the team and ranks 11th in the A-10.

        “When he shoots it in practice, we all expect that every one's going in,” Prosser said. “When he's making those, that's important. It makes us that much harder to guard.”

        XU's defense was again stellar, holding La Salle to .394 shooting. After allowing its opponents .424 shooting in the season's first seven games, XU has posted a .386 defensive field-goal percentage in its six-game winning streak.

        “We're playing good defense, and that's the main reason we're winning,” McAfee said. “Defense wins ballgames.”

        XU's .473 shooting wasn't bad, either. It shot better only against San Francisco (.491) and Miami (.483).

DAUGHERTY: XU's West no flash in the pan
McAfee is winning the battle

LA SALLE (66)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Thomas          39  7-16   1-1   2-4  1  3   18
Jordan          25   0-3   0-3   2-4  1  3    0
Bragg           23   4-8   0-0   3-5  1  4    8
Blanks          39  5-14   0-0   0-4  6  3   12
Butler          39  9-18   4-6   4-7  3  3   26
Quadri          15   0-4   0-1   1-1  1  1    0
Jones            1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Clark            1   0-1   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Wilson          11   0-1   0-0   0-1  0  3    0
Baptiste         7   1-1   0-2   0-1  0  1    2
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 26-66  5-13 12-27 13 21   66
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.394, FT-.385. 3-Point Goals:
9-26, .346 (Thomas 3-6, Blanks 2-8, Butler 4-8,
Quadri 0-3, Clark 0-1). Team rebounds: None.
Blocked shots: 4 (Bragg 2, Jordan, Butler).
Turnovers: 8 (Blanks 5, Bragg, Jordan, Thomas).
Steals: 7 (Quadri 2, Blanks, Butler, Jordan,
Thomas, Wilson).


XAVIER (81)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Frey            29   3-6   3-3   1-8  0  4    9
Price           32  3-11   3-4   2-8  3  2    9
West            35  9-11   7-9  5-14  1  2   25
Sato            28  5-10   4-4   2-4  3  4   19
Mcafee          35   3-8   3-4   1-2 12  4   12
Chalmers        24   1-5   1-2   0-3  1  1    3
Young            5   1-3   0-0   0-1  0  0    2
Mcintosh         1   1-1   0-0   0-0  0  0    2
Brown            1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Mason            1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Butler           9   0-0   0-0   1-1  1  2    0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 26-55 21-26 12-41 21 19   81
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.473, FT-.808. 3-Point Goals:
8-23, .348 (Frey 0-3, Price 0-3, Sato 5-8, Mcafee
3-7, Chalmers 0-2). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked
shots: 5 (West 3, Frey, Sato). Turnovers: 12
(Frey 3, Mcafee 2, Sato 2, West 2, Butler,
Chalmers, Price). Steals: 6 (West 3, Frey, Mason,
Mcafee).
__________________________________
La Salle           30   36  -   66
Xavier             33   48  -   81
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None.  A: 10,250. Officials:
Robert Donato, Larry Rose, Duke Edsall.

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