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CINCINNATI -- Xavier coach Chris Mack saw quite a bit of growth from his team in just two days between a narrow season-opening win over Lehigh to a more decisive 33-point victory over Buffalo on Monday.Its November 14, so we have a lot of room for growth, Mack said. It was by far the best (performance) for our newcomers, which is a really good sign.On Thursday, the 11th-ranked Musketeers begin play in the Tire Pros Invitational at HP Fieldhouse in Orlando, Fla., the site of one of last seasons signature moments when they captured the Advocare Invitational with victories over Alabama, USC and Dayton.Xavier (2-0) will face the Missouri Tigers (1-0), a team they have beaten three straight times. The Musketeers topped Mizzou 78-66 last year at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.We havent really talked about the competition were going to face in Orlando, Xavier senior forward Rashid Gaston said. Were going to play some pretty good teams.Joining the Musketeers and Tigers in Orlando are Oklahoma, Tulane, Northern Iowa, Arizona State, Clemson and Davidson.Like Xavier, Missouri showed significant improvement in recent days.After a seven-point win over Central Missouri in an exhibition game, the Tigers were impressive in routing Alabama A&M 99-44 Sunday in their home opener.We werent very good eight days ago (against Central Missouri), Tigers coach Kim Anderson told the Kansas City Star. and we knew we werent very good.Frankie Hughes scored 23 points against Alabama A&M, tying a school record for points scored in a freshman debut. Missouri is a young team, with three sophomores and two freshmen among the starters.The Tigers will look to extend Xaviers perimeter defense on Thursday. After shooting 31 percent from 3-point range last season, Mizzou drained 8 of 16 attempts from beyond the arc on Sunday.We need outside shooting, because that was a struggle for us last year, obviously, Anderson said.Defense is where Xavier is looking to make its biggest strides. After allowing 81 points to Lehigh, the Musketeers held Buffalo to just 53 on Monday, limiting the Bulls to 31 percent shooting and forcing 21 turnovers.Some of the things we emphasized (in practice) -- taking care of the ball, playing a little bit longer into the shot clock, defensive intensity, crowding the floor a little bit more, I think we took a step forward, Mack said.The Musketeers continue to deal with depth issues. Senior guard Myles Davis is still suspended due to an incident involving his ex-girlfriends property, and sophomore forward Kaiser Gates is working his way back from a knee injury. On Monday, Xavier had four players in double figures, led by Trevon Bluiett with 18 points.Xavier and Missouri have only played six times previously, but there is plenty of history between the two programs.One of the most significant victories in Xaviers program history came against the Tigers in the first round of the 1987 NCAA Tournament. The 70-69 upset win was the first-ever NCAA Tournament victory for the Musketeers. Byron Larkin, now the color analyst on Xaviers radio broadcasts, scored 29 points in that game to lead all scorers.Missouri hasnt beaten the Musketeers since 2001, a 72-60 victory in the Wooden Tradition Classic in Indianapolis. Kyrie Irving Shoes Deals .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Kyrie Irving Shoes From China . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. https://www.cheapshoeskyrieirving.com/ . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. Kyrie Irving Shoes Free Shipping . The 15th-ranked Canadian men lost the opening two games of their European tour: 19-15 to No. 17 Georgia and 21-20 to No. Cheap Kyrie Irving Shoes . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. KENT, Ohio -- Jimmy Hall scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Kent State beat Mississippi Valley State 93-63 on Wednesday night.Hall was 7 of 12 from the field and 9 of 11 from the free-throw line for the Golden Flash (2-0). Jaylin Walker added 14 points and Deon Edwin had 11. The team averaged 44.6 percent shooting from the field, 75 percent from the line and outrebounded MSVU 54-27.Before the game, Kent State players ventured into the home crowd and -- in a show of racial unity -- each brought a fan of aa different race courtside to stand with them for the national anthem.ddddddddddddAfter a back-and-forth battle in the latter part of the first half, Hall made a layup and a jumper on back-to-back possessions to secure a 37-31 lead for Kent State with 2:13 left. The Golden Flash led 41-31 at the break and led the rest of the way.Isaac Williams scored 17 points for the Delta Devils (0-3). ' ' '