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CINCINNATI -- No second-half slump. No. 13 Xavier held on tightly to this lead, right to the finish.J.P. Macura emerged from his shooting slump by scoring 18 points, and RaShid Gaston helped No. 13 Xavier get the edge up front against the nations top rebounding team, leading the Musketeers to a 77-69 victory over Utah on Saturday.The Musketeers (8-2) were coming off back-to-back road losses that featured long scoring droughts in the second half. Xaviers balanced offense built a 15-point lead in the first half, and the Musketeers stayed ahead the rest of the way.Weve dropped two in a row by taking our foot off the gas pedal in the second half, Gaston said . We wanted to keep the pressure on and finish down the stretch.After you take two losses back-to-back, theres not much that needs to be said. You approach it with the right mentality -- by any means necessary, youve got to get the win.Gaston had 11 points and 14 rebounds, helping Xavier to a 33-28 edge on the boards. The Utes (6-2) came in averaging 47.7 rebounds. Gaston had nine points and 10 rebounds -- one less than Utahs total -- in the first half.RaShid has always been tough, said guard Malcolm Bernard, who had 11 points. Hes a bull down there, for real. His offense doesnt get as much credit as it needs to get.Macura was 5 of 7 from beyond the arc after going only 2 of 16 in his last three games. Trevon Bluiett also scored 18 points, hitting all six of his free throws in the final minute as Xavier closed it out.Down the stretch, we just have to be a smarter team, coach Chris Mack said . Maybe we just havent been in that situation enough. Well get better.Freshman Devon Daniels had a career-high 19 points for the Utes , whose two losses have been against ranked Big East teams. They also lost to Butler at home.That was our first true test on the road, coach Larry Krystkowiak said. I had to see how we would respond. We need consistency. We have different guys having good games, but not many back-to-back. It is usually someone different every night.BIG PICTUREUtah: The Utes top two scorers -- Kyle Kuzma and Tyler Rawson -- were a combined 2 of 10 for five points in the first half as Xavier took control. Kuzma finished with 11 points -- his second-lowest total of the season -- and Rawson a season-low three.Xavier: The Musketeers went through long second-half scoring droughts during their losses. Utah opened the second half with an 11-4 spurt but couldnt get any closer.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Musketeers figure to slip in the Top 25 based upon their 68-66 loss at Colorado on Wednesday, but limited the damage with their win on Saturday.BAD LUCK STATEThe Utes fell to 0-5 in the state of Ohio, also losing twice at Ohio State and twice at Cincinnati.NO SLUMPSXavier hasnt lost three in a row since 2013-14, its first season in the Big East.FROM THE LINEXavier shot only 66 percent from the free-throw line in its two losses. The Musketeers all 10 of their free throws in the final minute against Utah and finished 15 of 21.UP NEXTUtah hosts Prairie View A&M next Saturday, and then closes nonconference play the following week in Hawaii as part of the Diamond Head Classic.Xavier plays the first of four straight home games leading into Big East play, hosting Wake Forest next Saturday in the Skip Prosser Classic.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Craig Anderson Jersey . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. Florida Panthers Store . Cote was eligible to become a free agent Feb. 15. Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. https://www.panthersjerseycheap.com/428f-jay-bouwmeester-jersey-panthers.html .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. Anton Stralman Jersey . Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck of the Vancouver Giants were each charged with assault causing bodily harm on Aug. 18, according to the B.C. court services. Brett Connolly Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. TORONTO -- Brooks Laich has seen top draft picks blossom in the NHL.With the Washington Capitals, he watched Alex Ovechkin burst onto the scene in 2005. Now with the Toronto Maple Leafs some 11 years later, he has a ringside seat for Auston Matthews debut.The 19-year-old forward, the No. 1 overall pick this summer, turned heads at the World Cup of Hockey on a Team North American line with Edmontons Connor McDavid and Winnipegs Mark Scheifele.It puts a big smile on your face, Laich, a 12-year veteran, said about watching Matthews. I see a lot of little things in his game, habits that you dont generally see in young players.Those include his positioning, the way he competes for the puck and his shot release. From Scottsdale, Arizona, Matthews played last season in Switzerland.Leafs center Nazem Kadri has also seen Matthews play from the Air Canada Centre stands.(Hes) obviously high-level skill, he said. (He) can skate, hes big. So hes only going to get better. Obviously, with that 82-game season, its going to be a little difficult but I think hes going to be more than ready for it.ddddddddddddLeafs management already likes what it sees.Theres no question he has a bright future, GM Lou Lamoriello said. Its just exciting to see him play. But I think the most exciting thing is to know hes ours.Laich reminded reporters asking about Matthews that the team comes first.This isnt an individual sport, he said. This isnt a tennis or a golf where everything comes down to one person. Austons a great player from what Ive seen. But theres also going to be 22 other great players in this room.So as a young guy, hes got enough pressure on himself. He puts, Im sure, enough pressure on himself. You dont get to be where he is already without having an internal drive like that. So we dont need to put anything else on him. We want to make him a member of the team, we want to treat him like the other 22 guys.The logo comes first. Im sure Auston will tell you that.The Leafs begin on-ice activities at training camp Friday in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ' ' '