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Xavier clinches a share of the A-10 with win over Charlotte

Mar 3, 2011 - 3:14 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Dante Jackson tallied 18 points, seven rebounds and four steals, as 23rd-ranked Xavier clinched at least a share of its fifth straight Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season title with a 68-48 victory over Charlotte at the Cintas Center.

Jackson made four three-pointers for the Musketeers (23-6, 14-1 A-10), who hold a 40-game home court winning streak in A-10 play, which stands alone for the longest in league history.

Kenny Frease donated 14 points and seven boards for Xavier, which got 11 points and 13 rebounds from Jamel McLean.

The Musketeers finish the regular season at Saint Louis on Saturday.

"It was an exciting moment. It was just a couple years ago that I saw Stanley Burrell and Josh Duncan hold that sign up," McLean said.

Chris Braswell and Derrio Green each finished with 14 points for the 49ers (10-19, 2-13), who have dropped seven in a row.

Charlotte faces Saint Joseph's on Saturday to close out its regular-season schedule.

The 49ers scored the first seven points of the game, but that lead was short lived.

Down by four, 15-11, with over 12 1/2 minutes left, Xavier put together a 16-3 run to go in front for good. Jackson made a pair of three-pointers during the burst, which Mark Lyons capped with a layup for a 27-18 margin with 6 1/2 minutes to go.

Lyons' three-pointer before the half gave the Musketeers a 36-25 lead at the break.

Xavier opened the second half on a 6-0 flurry to essentially put the game away. Tu Holloway made a jumper and two free throws before McLean's layup made it a 42-25 game.

Holding a 54-39 lead with under 11 1/2 minutes remaining, Xavier ripped off nine straight points to take a 63-39 margin on Andrew Taylor's jumper.

"Congratulations to Chris [Mack] and his team," Charlotte head coach Alan Major said. "They've had a great year, playing a short bench. They have some iron men. Dante [Jackson] made some huge threes to give them some separation [in the first half]."

Game Notes

Charlotte handed the Musketeers their lone league loss, 66-62, on February 2. Xavier leads the all-time series by a count of 9-2. Charlotte has never won at the Cintas Center (0-4)...The Musketeers have won eight in a row...Lyons ended with 10 points and seven assists for Xavier, which shot 47.4 percent from the field...With the win, the Musketeers secured the No. 1 seed in the A-10 Tournament...It's the ninth time overall Xavier has finished as regular season champions since joining the A-10 for the 1995-96 season. The Musketeers can wrap up the sole possession of the title by winning at Saint Louis Saturday or with a Temple loss to La Salle Saturday.