Romain Sato dunks against LIU. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        In his previous game, David West showed he could carry Xavier single-handedly, scoring 31 points to nearly topple Purdue.

        Saturday, though, was about all-around excellence.

        West's career-high 10 assists helped pave the way to the first triple-double in XU's recorded history, as he led the Musketeers to a 108-57 victory over Long Island. Playing just 30 minutes, the junior center totaled 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

        “Other teams, their focus is to shut me down,” West said. “But other guys on this team are good. They'll kill you. So I was just looking to set them up tonight.”

        Drawing his usual double-teams, West decided early to focus on freeing up his teammates, recording eight first-half assists. He said his decision came in part because he missed his first two shots, although he would make all seven of his remaining attempts.

        With 8:43 left to play, West stood at the top of the lane and spotted Kevin Frey on the low block. He rifled a pass there, and Frey streaked in for a dunk that finished the triple-double.

        “I think that just kind of solidifies the kind of player he is,” XU coach Thad Matta said of West's triple-double. “He's able to see things from the passing (facet), and we know he can rebound and score.”

        West's record was merely the biggest moment in a feel-good night for XU (4-2). Against overmatched LIU (0-5), it shot a season-high 64.6 percent and put all 12 of its players in the scoring column.

        XU totaled 36 assists, which might be one of the top figures ever except school officials haven't tracked that statistic. The sharp passing helped leave Romain Sato open in a 21-point night. Frey totaled 19 points on 6-of-6 shooting.

        “We were looking to share the basketball a little more and get guys involved,” West said. “We ended up making a lot of easy baskets.”

        West nearly came up shy of 10 rebounds in part because of his team's near-record shooting. There simply weren't enough missed shots to grab. With 15 minutes left to play, XU was shooting 73 percent, on pace to break the single-game record of 72.2 percent.

        At that point, West had just 13 points and nine assists but just five rebounds. But he grabbed five more boards in the next 6 1/2 minutes to set up the final assist.

        The All-America candidate has shown his unselfish side before, ranking second on the team in assists last year with 58. He became the first low-post player to finish second on the team since power forward/center Jeff Jenkins did in 1980-81 (61 assists.)

        West's career high for field goal attempts is 17. He has averaged just 9.6 attempts in a career in which he has started all 68 games.

        “I thought from his end, it was just a great team effort tonight,” Matta said of West. “He was very unselfish, because some of those that he passed, he probably could have shot. I think that's what makes Dave West the special player that he is.”

        West's passing ability dates to his days playing point guard on the freshman team at Teaneck (N.J.) High School. He was a slender 5 feet 10 then but grew to 6-5 the summer after his freshman year. The passing skills, though, were already ingrained.
       West's single-game career high had been five assists, and he had just six assists total in the season's first five games.

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