Xavier keeps winning, but coach Chris Mack does not always like how his team is getting it done.
The 25th-ranked Musketeers have another chance to satisfy their coach while trying to continue their home dominance in the Atlantic 10 with a sixth straight victory Tuesday night against struggling La Salle.
Even after A-10 leading scorer Tu Holloway became the first player in school history to record two triple-doubles with 26 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Saturday's 79-72 win over lowly Fordham, Mack still wasn't happy with his team's overall performance.
Though the Musketeers (20-6, 11-1) won for the 12th time in 13 games, they were outrebounded 38-32 and outscored 14-7 in second-chance points against a Fordham team which has not won a league game in more than two years.
That less-than-stellar effort might be a reason Xavier fell one spot in Monday's poll. The Musketeers have a one-half game lead over No. 24 Temple in their pursuit of a fifth straight regular-season A-10 title.
"It's a joke," Mack said. "I thought we were playing for something much bigger. You shouldn't need a wakeup call 26 or 27 games into the season."
Mack expects his squad to avoid another bout with complacency while trying to extend its conference-record home winning streak to 39 games with a fifth consecutive victory over La Salle (12-15, 4-8).
Holloway, averaging 20.6 points, bounced back Saturday after being held to 14 points on 2-of-10 shooting in Wednesday's 74-54 road win over Saint Joseph's. The junior guard has averaged 23.4 points and shot 51.5 percent in the last five home games.
"He can take over a game," Fordham coach Tom Pecora said about Holloway, who had 14 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in an 83-75 home win over Wake Forest on Dec. 18. "He knows how to score when he needs to."
Holloway, however, has totaled 11 points in two games against La Salle, which has lost the last four meetings by an average of 12.5 points.
La Salle forward Jerrell Williams is averaging a career-high 14.0 points this season but 9.0 in three games against Xavier. The senior scored 27 in an 82-80 loss to George Washington on Saturday.
Though La Salle suffered its second straight loss and fourth in five games, it cut an 18-point second-half deficit to one with 26 seconds remaining.
"We did fight hard," coach John Giannini told the school's official website. "This is what makes this so agonizing. We do have the talent to win. But good teams don't wait until their backs are to the wall."
La Salle looks to avoid a 21st consecutive loss to a Top 25 opponent since beating No. 18 Saint Joseph's 91-90 on March 3, 2001.
