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Xavier goes for 12th straight win

Feb 7, 2009 - 1:01 PM (9) Xavier (20-2) at Duquesne (14-7), 7:00 p.m. EST

PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- At this point, that two-game stretch just before Christmas when Xavier dropped its only two games of the season seems like an aberration.

Since, the ninth-ranked Musketeers have rattled off 11 victories in a row. They will look to extend that to 12 on Saturday night as they visit Duquesne in an Atlantic-10 clash.

Xavier (20-2, 8-0, A-10) is trying not only to keep its winning streak alive, but to remain unbeaten away from home. The Musketeers are 6-0 away from the Cintas Center - and it's a good thing, considering the rest of their schedule. Beginning with this showdown, they will play five of their final eight games on the road.

The Musketeers are the top rebounding group in the A-10, averaging 40.2 boards per contest, and are connecting from the 3-point line at a 40-percent rate (146-of-365) - once again, tops in the conference.

Most recently, they caught fire from the arc in an 83-74 victory over Temple. B.J. Raymond hit five threes and scored 24 points and Brad Redford added 12 points on four 3-pointers to carry the team to its 12th win in a row.

The Dukes (14-7, 5-3), on the other hand, are coming off a hard-fought setback in overtime to Saint Louis. Senior guard Aaron Jackson scored 29 points, but it wasn't quite enough, as the Billikens closed out the win with clutch free-throw shooting in the extra session.