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Updated: Tuesday, December 3, 2002 11:17 PM EST
NCAA BASKETBALL RECAP
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(16) Xavier 74, Purdue 59
PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue Boilermakers
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XAVIER (OH) MUSKETEERS
Xavier (OH) Musketeers
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CINCINNATI (Ticker) -- Lionel Chalmers helped Xavier end a frustrating run against Purdue.

Chalmers scored a season-high 24 points and David West added 18 as the 16th-ranked Musketeers ended a six-game losing streak against the Boilermakers with a 74-59 victory.

Xavier (3-1) never trailed in improving to 3-0 at home this season. The Musketeers can look forward to their annual showdown with unranked Cincinnati in Saturday's Crosstown Shootout.

"That game is such a heated rivalry," Xavier coach Thad Matta said. "Cincinnati, well, they are Cincinnati. There aren't 25 teams in the country better than Cincinnati."

The Musketeers took a 12-6 lead on a follow shot by West with 14:20 remaining in the first half. West nailed a jumper, Will Caudle had a layup and Chalmers scored inside for a 28-15 advantage with 8:18 to go.

A basket by Darmetreis Kilgore opened the second half for Purdue (2-1) and cut the deficit to 39-29. But Chalmers responded with seven straight points for a 17-point bulge.

"It's just another game," Chalmers said. "I wanted to take the pressure off Dave (West). I was just making shots."

Willie Deane, the leading returning scorer in the Big Ten Conference, led the Boilermakers with 21 points.

West's basket with 13 minutes remaining gave Xavier its largest lead at 54-33. The Boilermakers never got closer than 14 points thereafter.

The Musketeers shot 54.5 percent (18-of-33) from the field in the first half en route to a 39-27 lead. Chalmers scored 10 points and Anthony Myles added eight on 4-of-5 shooting.

West, the two-time Atlantic-10 Conference Player of the Year, had a poor shooting night as he made 6-of-15 shots. West led Xavier with nine rebounds as the Musketeers held a 37-28 edge on the glass.

The Boilermakers' game plan was to stop Xavier lead guard Romain Sato, who did not score in the first half. Sato finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

"What teams are doing now, they are gearing up to stop him, not me," West said. "That was evident in the first half. If he's not scoring, he's blocking shots, rebounding, playing defense."

"I thought David (West) would be great," Purdue coach Gene Keady said. "Of course, Chalmers has really improved. If someone had told me before the game (Sato would not score in the first half), we'd have thought that we had the lead."

Purdue failed to ride the momentum of Saturday's victory over Louisville as it shot 42 percent (25-of-60). Deane was the only Boilermaker in double figures as the starting backcourt of Kenneth Lowe and Brandon McKnight made 2-of-8 shots for four points.

The Boilermakers have lost 10 of its last 11 games against ranked opponents. It was Purdue's lone non-conference road game of the season.

Purdue still leads the series between the schools, 9-2.


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