Backs to the wall, 38 seconds to save a season, win or risk going home. These are the games we’ve become accustomed to Xavier winning by hook or crook. Tonight, once again, they did. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t the kind of basketball that inspires soliloquies, but it was a win. Not only was it a win, it was THE win. Xavier needed to beat a top 10 RPI team to lock up their bid to the NCAA tournament, and they just came out and did it.
No quit and great defense
Xavier turned the ball over on seven of eight possessions and surrendered second half run of 15-4 but they slowly, inexorably, dragged themselves back into the game.