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CINCINNATI -- The rematch was no match at all. Xaviers defense made sure of it.J.P. Macura scored 18 points, and Xaviers defense dug in during a dominant first half, sending the ninth-ranked Musketeers to a 64-42 victory over Northern Iowa on Saturday.Xavier (6-0) completely controlled a matchup of teams playing for the second time in six days. The Musketeers beat Northern Iowa 67-59 for championship of Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando last Sunday.This time, it was no contest. Xavier knew exactly what to expect the second time around.I think its easy, coach Chris Mack said . Northern Iowa always runs the same three plays to start the game. Im sure the players are like, `Weve got it. I was really excited about our mindset today.Edmond Sumner had 14 points and seven assists, making Xaviers offense get into a flow quickly.The Musketeers looked very comfortable in their second go-round against the Panthers (3-2). Northern Iowa had trouble finding open shots while Xavier raced ahead 30-10, going 4 of 13 from the field with seven turnovers as Xaviers defense gave its best performance of the season.The Musketeers led 35-12 at halftime, the fewest points they had allowed in any half for 34 years.Thats the best half weve played since Ive been here, said Macura , a junior. We were talking really well. We were in each others gaps.Xavier pushed the lead to 26 points early in the second half and was never threatened. Jeremy Morgan scored 14 points -- all in the second half -- for Northern Iowa. Morgan had 20 points in their game on Sunday, but missed all of his four shots in the first half while Xavier took control.The Panthers had made at least 10 3-pointers in each of their first four games this season, going 10 of 24 against Xavier on Sunday. They were only 6 of 18 in the rematch. Xavier had a 42-20 edge in rebounds, getting 15 on offense.They made it obvious that they did a better job of preparing their guys for what was the rematch, if you will, Northern Iowa coach Ben Jacobson said. They outplayed us on the glass, they outplayed us in a lot of areas. They outplayed us in the areas that mattered.Northern Iowa shot 33 percent from the field and had only seven assists.I thought the difference in the game was our defensive effort at the outset, Mack said. Good teams lock in on the challenge in the moment. We defended at a really high level, as good as I can remember.BIG PICTURENorthern Iowa: The Panthers are 17-37 all-time against ranked teams, including 2-17 on the road. Both of those road wins came at Wichita State -- last season and in 2006.Xavier: Kaiser Gates got into a game for the first time. The sophomore forward was counted upon to be an integral part of Xaviers overhauled front line, but tore cartilage in his left knee and had surgery a month ago. Gates played 11 minutes, missed his only shot, got two rebounds and picked up three fouls -- not bad for someone whos had only three practices.He had a phenomenal summer, Mack said. Hes in great position as we move forward.SEE YOU SOONXavier hadnt played consecutive games against a nonconference team since it faced Yale twice in 1960. It was the eighth time in school history that the Musketeers played someone in back-to-back games out of conference.OUCHNorthern Iowas Klint Carlson picked up third foul with 7:48 left in the first half, even though the Panthers were playing zone. Carlson finished with 11 points and three rebounds in 24 minutes. Forward Bennett Koch fouled out with 8:15 to go after scoring five points and getting two rebounds.POLL IMPLICATIONSXavier played its most complete game yet and has shown improvement each time out after a couple of close opening wins.UP NEXTNorthern Iowa hosts George Mason on Wednesday.Xavier hosts North Dakota State on Tuesday.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Nike Air Force 1 Australia Cheap . -- Lou Brocks shoulder-to-shoulder collision with Bill Freehan during the 1968 World Series and Pete Roses bruising hit on Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game could become relics of baseball history, like the dead-ball era. Nike Air Force 1 Cheap Outlet . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. http://www.cheapnikeairforce1australia.com/ . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Nike Air Force Ones Sale .Y. - Jerome Samson scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the St. Cheap Nike Air Force 1 Australia . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers put themselves back in the playoff conversation by stringing together four convincing victories in which they never trailed. They put themselves on the cusp of the AFC North title by showing the kind of resilience theyve lacked this year when things get tight.Down two touchdowns on the road, the Steelers didnt panic. They didnt press either. They simply kept chipping away at the seemingly emotionally fragile Bengals until Cincinnati lost its composure and, eventually, whatever resolved remained in an otherwise lost season.The result -- a 24-20 victory that set up a de facto AFC North title game next Sunday against Baltimore -- was Pittsburghs first win in a game decided by less than seven points this season and first when trailing at the half since Week 15 of last year.It just shows what were capable of, safety Sean Davis said Monday. Were a team that fights. Weve been through so many things throughout that game and it does nothing but make us more confident and lets us know when we play like that the whole game were a tough team to beat.A team that evolved from one heavy on flash to something more substantive over the last month. Six Chris Boswell field goals, one well-timed Boswell trip of Cincinnati returner Alex Erickson that prevented a touchdown and an exclamation point game-ending drive gave the Steelers (9-5) their longest winning streak since 2009.Leading by four with 5:53 remaining, Pittsburgh took over at its own 16 and the Bengals never got the ball back. Four first downs -- the last coming on Cincinnatis eighth penalty of the day -- allowed Ben Roethlisberger to kneel down four times and give the Steelers their 15th win in 18 trips to Paul Brown Stadium.Its huge, guard David DeCastro said. Having those team wins, especially late in the season. Thats got to be the way to do it.Maybe thats why occasionally nitpickyy head coach Mike Tomlin opted not to be so nitpicky after his team improved to 11-1 in its last 12 December games.dddddddddddd While allowing most of his teams issues early on Sunday were of the self-inflicted variety, from the face mask by defensive end Stephon Tuitt that extended Cincinnatis opening drive to the pass interference call in the end zone on rookie cornerback Artie Burns that set up a Bengals touchdown.Its not the first time this season the Steelers have struggled on the road. It is the first time theyve managed to overcome it.We have played that team five times in the past twelve months, its not a lot of secrets, Tomlin said. Its just technical expertise and a lot of butt kicking. And smiling in the face of adversity.Something Pittsburgh is becoming more comfortable at as the long slog of the regular season morphs into a sprint. The most basic math is very simple: knock off the Ravens (who have won four straight in one of the AFCs most heated rivalries) and the Steelers have a third straight playoff berth for the first time in Tomlins 10-year tenure.Its a position Pittsburgh envisioned all along, it not the winding path it took to get here. The four-game nap the Steelers took in the middle of the season appears to be a distant memory.Were going to fight for the whole 60 minutes, Davis said.If the can do it for 60 more, theyll be division champions.Game notes Tuitt underwent an MRI on his right knee on Monday. He injured the knee on the same play he was flagged for grabbing Andy Daltons facemask and did not return. ... WR Darrius Heyward-Bey ran in cleats on Monday as he tries to recover from a foot injury thats kept him out since Week 7.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '