XCP News
Xavier Basketball: Lost, Long-held Lead Recovered
Xavier Basketball maintained a lead for nearly the entire game Friday night against the Sunnyslope Vikings on their home floor.
- The lead stood at five after the first quarter, 17-12.
- Leading by as many as nine points, the second-quarter score settled into a seven-point Xavier advantage, 25-18.
- In the third quarter, a ten-point lead became an eight-point advantage, 32-24.
- This trend suggested the Gators should win by nine or ten points.
What could possibly go wrong?
The general answer: the 4th quarter had to be played.
The general answer: the 4th quarter had to be played.
Let's put it this way: I have fourteen Xavier highlights in the video below: ten from the first half and only four from the second half.
- A few ill-advised shot attempts here
- a few bad passes there
- Sunnyslope shooting getting hotter and Xavier shooting cooling off
- and a perceived increase in Viking intensity and focus that the Gators did not match for part of the fourth quarter
Xavier's lead evaporated, 43-43, with thirty seconds left in the contest when Sunnyslope hit a three. The crowd erupted, nearly blowing the roof off the gymnasium.
To their credit, Xavier stood their ground and held off the Vikings in the final thirty seconds. Sophomore Ellie McLaughlin coolly sank three straight free throws with 28.7 seconds remaining, breaking a tie and giving Xavier the points it needed to secure the win.
Sunnyslope answered with a two-point basket to pull within 46–45. Xavier missed two free throws with four seconds left, but the Gators locked down defensively and prevented the Vikings from escaping their backcourt in the closing moments.
Sunnyslope answered with a two-point basket to pull within 46–45. Xavier missed two free throws with four seconds left, but the Gators locked down defensively and prevented the Vikings from escaping their backcourt in the closing moments.
The highlight video below is one of my favorites. The Gators provided an outstanding collection of highlights that are an absolute joy to watch.
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