A-10 notes: Charlotte shows how to contain Holloway, Xavier

Today’s games:

Xavier at Georgia, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Wednesday’s games

Dayton at Rhode Island, 7 p.m. (WHIO)

Fordham at Temple, 7 p.m.

Richmond at G. Washington, 7 p.m.

La Salle at Saint Louis, 9 p.m.

Saturday’s games

St. Louis at Richmond, noon (ESPN/2)

Temple at Dayton, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

Charlotte at Rhode Island, 2 p.m.

La Salle at St. Bonaventure, 4 p.m.

Sunday’s games

Xavier at Duquesne, 2 p.m.

George Washington at UMass, 4 p.m.

Saint Joseph’s at Fordham, 4 p.m.

Charlotte may have supplied the Atlantic 10 with a blueprint for beating Xavier with its strategy against star guard Tu Holloway.

The 6-foot junior, leading candidate for A-10 player of the year, was turned into mostly a perimeter player, making just 3-of-17 shots from the field and missing all eight of his 3-pointers as the 49ers pulled off a 66-62 upset last Wednesday.

Holloway is much more effective breaking down defenses with the dribble and getting to the foul line, where he’s shooting 86.6 percent.

“It’s like in football if you’re playing Michael Vick,” Charlotte coach Alan Major said. “You’d rather Vick throw it than run. We’d rather have (Holloway) shooting over you than driving around you.”

Holloway also struggled in the first half against Saint Louis on Saturday, but he scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half in a 76-68 win.

“For once in his college career, he’s 1A on the scouting report,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said. “I don’t necessarily buy into the fact that if you take him out of the game, we’re a lost team, but we’re certainly not as effective if he’s not playing well.

“We’ve put a lot on his plate. He’s done an incredible job through 22 games. I thought in the second half of the Saint Louis game, he was more like he’s been the entire year. The three halves preceding that, I thought he was a little casual with the basketball.

“No one’s flawless. You’re always tightening bolts on kids you coach. I was happy to see his response in the second half against Saint Louis.”

OWLS NEED FERNANDEZ: League favorite Temple, which visits Dayton on Saturday, has lost only twice in the conference — both times on the road to A-10 co-leaders Duquesne and Xavier while top point guard Juan Fernandez was slowed with a knee injury.

He still has to wear a protective brace, and Owls coach Fran Dunphy said the 6-4 junior hasn’t played up to his standards.

“He hasn’t scored as well, he hasn’t shot it as well. He’s been hurt,” Dunphy said. “Certainly he’s not (playing as well) in that regard. But we have a lot of basketball left, and this will be his healthiest week within the last five or six. Hopefully, it will result in him achieving more consistency.”

INJURY REPORT: Saint Louis has lost forward Cody Ellis, a preseason third-team all-league pick, who dislocated his shoulder while diving for a loose ball against Xavier. ... Fordham has really been hit hard. Starting point guard Lamont Samuels could be out for the season after suffering a high ankle sprain. A top frontcourt player, Marvin Dominique, will have surgery for a torn labrum.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Xavier (16-6, 8-1 A-10) vs. Duquesne (16-6, 8-1) at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The Dukes were tagged with their first conference loss at St. Bonaventure when Michael Davenport made a long 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left for a 64-62 upset Saturday.

The league race has turned into a four-team affair with Temple (17-5, 7-2) and Richmond (18-6, 7-2) very much in the mix.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: La Salle coach John Giannini, on coaching barefoot against Dayton to raise awareness for the charity Samaritan's Feet, which distributes shoes to the poor throughout the world. "I'm uncomfortable with it. I don't go barefoot around the house. I don't even like going barefoot on the beach in the sand."

Contact this writer at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.