By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW YORK - It's scary to think how badly Xavier could have lost to Mississippi State Saturday if freshman point guard Dedrick Finn hadn't taken matters into his own hands.

With Xavier trailing 33-15 at halftime, Finn made four of five 3-point attempts in the second half. After the game, he was congratulated by the Mississippi State coaching staff, which recruited Finn out of Newburgh (Ind.) High.

"There's a reason we were looking at him," Bulldogs coach Rick Stansbury said.

Finn's performance kept the Musketeers in the game.

"There was no pressure," Finn said. "Just come out here and play my game."

There were times late in the second half when Finn was open for 3-point attempts, but Lionel Chalmers, driving through the lane, was unable to pass.

"(Chalmers) is good at (penetrating)," said Xavier coach Thad Matta, "but we were drawing two, three guys on him and the kick wasn't there. We have to get better at that."

Even with Finn's shooting, the Musketeers couldn't match Mississippi State, which shot 49 percent from the field.

Mario can finger roll... (AP photo) | ZOOM |

QUIET DOMINATION: For all the havoc he wreaked on Xavier, Mississippi State's Mario Austin didn't say much after the game.

Austin was nearly unstoppable, overcoming double teams and scoring 28 points and grabbing nine rebounds in his first game of the season.

"I just wanted to get on the floor and play," Austin said. "It just so happened that everything I shot went in. Well, maybe not everything."

He made 12 of 21 shots and three of four free throws.

Coming into the game, Stansbury speculated that Austin's role might be limited. But Austin played 32 minutes, second on the team behind Timmy Bowers, who played 36 minutes.

Austin had to sit out while the NCAA investigated his freshman eligibility. He was cleared Tuesday.

SATO STILL SLUMPING: Xavier's Romain Sato continues to struggle offensively. He finished with six points, dropping his scoring average to 13.3. He had five rebounds, one assist and three turnovers.

"He had some open shots today," Matta said. "And for whatever reason, they didn't go in. He went through this last year at the same time, and we need him to step up and play better all around. I know he can do that."