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GAME NOTES: The Xavier Musketeers and the Florida Gators take a break from their respective conference schedules to meet in Gainesville today.

Xavier is 16-7 overall this season, and it is certainly in contention for the Atlantic 10 Conference title with an 8-2 record. The Musketeers carried a four-game win streak into last Saturday's showdown with Dayton, so a 90-65 beating at the hands of the Flyers was completely unexpected. Xavier is now 3-5 in true road affairs.

As for Florida, it had a brief two-game win streak halted with a 77-71 loss to South Carolina on Wednesday. Fortunately, the Gators are back home where they are 11-2 thus far. They are 17-7 overall this season and 6-4 against SEC competition.

Xavier won the only previous meeting with Florida in an 86-74 final during the 1959-60 season.

Jordan Crawford continues to lead Xavier in scoring this season with 19.7 ppg, and Terrell Holloway checks in with 11.1 ppg and 92 assists. Holloway's scoring output would be even better if not for his 37.4 percent shooting from the field. As for Jason Love, he is generating 11.0 ppg on 58.6 percent shooting from the floor, and he is also pulling down 8.4 rpg. The Musketeers are netting 79.4 ppg through 23 games, and the team is limiting opponents to 69.1 ppg on 41.0 percent shooting. Crawford scored 24 points against Dayton on 8-of-14 shooting, but the rest of the team combined for a 13-of-42 shooting effort. A 42-24 rebounding disadvantage certainly hurt the cause, as did a 21-15 deficit in points from the foul line.

Florida is putting up 72.2 ppg this season while allowing 63.8 ppg to opponents on 41.7 percent field goal efficiency. The Gators, who are outrebounding foes by just over three boards per contest, are led by Kenny Boynton and his 14.0 ppg despite 37.7 percent shooting from the field. Erving Walker, who has dished out 121 assists, adds 13.2 ppg for UF, but his 37.0 percent shooting is even worse than Boynton's mark. Alex Tyus provides 12.8 ppg and 7.3 rpg, while Chandler Parsons contributes 11.0 ppg and 6.9 rpg. In the six-point loss to South Carolina earlier in the week, Walker scored 20 points. Boynton and Parsons chipped in 13 points apiece, and the latter handed out six assists. Florida shot 56 percent from the floor in that contest and earned a 41-35 rebounding advantage, but the Gamecocks took 18 more shots from the floor.

Whichever team wins this game will help its NCAA Tournament hopes tremendously. Expect that team to be Florida, which will get plenty of support from the Gainesville faithful.