Tu Holloway couldn't have picked a better time for his second career triple-double.
Xavier's junior guard became the first player in school history with two triple-doubles, scoring 26 points with a career-high 11 rebounds and 10 assists to lead No. 24 Xavier past upset-minded Fordham 79-72 on Saturday night.
''I shouldn've gotten it sooner,'' Holloway said with a smile of his 10th assist. ''They didn't give me my first three of the second half. I was begging guys in the huddle to give me another assist.''
Mark Lyons added 16 points and Kenny Frease had 14 for the Musketeers (20-6, 11-1 Atlantic 10), who won their fifth straight and 12th in 13 games.
Chris Gaston scored 26 points to lead the Rams (6-18, 0-12), who lost their 14th in a row. Brenton Butler added 21 points, 14 in the second half when he hit four 3-pointers, and Alberto Estwick chipped in 14 for Fordham.
Fordham coach Tom Pecora pointed out that the Rams haven't won a game in at least a month. They actually are winless in 2011.
''That's my longest stretch without a win since third-grade CYO,'' Pecora joked. ''Our effort tonight would have won a lot of the games we've played this year, but you don't get to pick and choose. Xavier stepped up when they needed to.''
Xavier has reached 20 wins for the sixth consecutive season and 14th in the last 15, but Musketeers coach Chris Mack thought his team looked at times like it was the league's doormat.
''That wasn't one of our better performances,'' Mack said. ''I'm very surprised Fordham hasn't won a conference game. We were fortunate to have Holloway. That was a tremendous performance tonight.''
Mack was most disturbed by Fordham's rebounding dominance. The Rams outrebounded Xavier 38-32 and had 13 offensive rebounds to the Musketeers' seven, which helped Fordham to a 14-7 advantage in second-chance points.
''It's a joke,'' Mack said. ''I thought we were playing for something much bigger.''
The win gives the Musketeers, who've won the last four regular-season conference championships, a one-game lead over Temple and two-game advantage over Duquesne and Richmond in the A-10 standings with four games to play.
Xavier extended its conference-record home winning streak to 38 games and sent Fordham to its 38th consecutive A-10 defeat. The Musketeers have won nine straight over the Rams and 20 of the last 21, improving to 21-3 in the all-time series.
Butler made three 3-pointers and Estwick also scored six points as Fordham turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a 54-53 lead with 11:05 left.
''Our effort wasn't there today,'' Holloway said. ''They got a lot of offensive rebounds. We thought they would lay down. Fordham's a well-coached team.''
Lyons and Holloway responded with field goals and Holloway added a free throw after stripping Estwick at halfcourt and getting fouled while going in for a layup. He made the first and missed the second, but Frease got the rebound and found Holloway for a 3-pointer that gave Xavier a 61-57 lead.
''We had to keep our composure,'' Lyons said. ''We were down, but we had to keep competing. Coach (Mack) always says effort beats talent, and it showed today.''
Dante Jackson hit 3-pointers to start and end a 17-4 Xavier run that put the Musketeers ahead 37-25 with 2:31 left in the first half. Holloway finished two rebounds short of recording a double-double by halftime, scoring 13 points and collecting eight rebounds as the Musketeers settled for a 39-30 halftime lead. Holloway also had six assists in the first half. Holloway had more assists in the first half than he's had in 16 games this season.
''I know how good Tu is,'' said Pecora, who saw Holloway play as a youngster. ''He can take over a game. He knows how to score when he needs to.''
Jordan Crawford, who played last season for Xavier before leaving for the NBA, watched the game from in front of the student cheering section at one end of the court. The NBA is off this weekend for the All-Star game.
