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.Under Armour Schuhe Günstig . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Under Armour Schuhe Sale .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. http://www.underarmoursaleschweiz.ch/ . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. Günstig Under Armour Kaufen . Deulofeu injured a muscle in his right leg in Evertons 4-1 win over Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Barcelona says that its team doctors will "co-ordinate" with Evertons medical staff as Deulofeu recovers. Under Armour Schuhe Outlet . Halifax beat the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 on the strength of two goals apiece from Nikolaj Ehlers, Matt Murphy and Brent Andrews. Jonathan Drouin also scored and had three assists while Zachary Fucale made 17 saves for the Mooseheads (16-8-0), who led 6-1 after two periods.AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Ryan Manning scored 21 points in 18 minutes and Air Force coasted to a 105-62 win over NAIA Johnson & Wales (Colo.) on Tuesday night.Manning was 5 of 8 from 3-point range and 8 of 13 overall. Hayden Graham added 12 points and Lavelle Scottie scored 10. The Falcons have a 26-point average margin of victory to start the season.Air Force (3-0) had 17 players log minutes and 12 were on the court for at least 11 minutes.Andrew Romero III had 16 points and Jonttrell Herman scored 12 for the Wildcats.ddddddddddddAir Force opened a 24-7 lead, extended to 53-33 at the break and led by no less than 20 in the second half. The Falcons reached their largest lead at the final score.The Falcons have topped the 100-point mark twice in their last four games after ending last season with a 108-102 loss in triple overtime. ' ' '