With the game tied at 59 apiece with fewer than two minutes to go, the Xavier men’s basketball team was clutch down the stretch with a 66-62 win over conference opponent Dayton to bring its winning streak to seven games.
Junior guard Tu Holloway was fouled with under a minute and a half and gave the No. 25 Musketeers (22-6, 13-1 Atlantic 10) a two-point lead after sinking both free throws. In the ensuing possession, Holloway came down and hit a crucial 3-pointer that gave the Musketeers a 64-59 lead. It was a lead which Xavier would continue to hold for the remainder of the game.
Three players scored in double-figures for the Musketeers, including an 11 and 10-point performance from senior forward Jamel McLean and senior guard Mark Lyons, respectively.
Junior forward Chris Johnson led the Flyers (7-7, 19-10 A-10) with 22 points, nine rebounds and a 4-for-8 shooting performance from long range. Chris Wright, the Flyers leading scorer with nearly 13 points per game, was held scoreless until the 15-minute mark in the second half.
Xavier will play its last home game against Charlotte this Wednesday night at 7 p.m. as it gets ready to gear up for the A-10 tournament next week.
Temple makes comeback
After being down by three at halftime on Saturday, Temple managed to pull itself together in the second half, completing a 57-41 comeback win against George Washington. With this win, the Owls (22-6, 12-2 A-10) clinch an A-10 tournament bid.
Senior forward Lavoy Allen had a game-high 19 points and 16 rebounds, which assured him A-10 Player of the Week honors and a first round bye for his team.
Shooting 24 percent in the first half, the Owls rebounded in the second half to shoot 55 percent from the field. It was Allen and sophomore guard Khalif Wyatt – who boasted 14 points and 5 rebounds – who facilitated a strong attack to break the game open in the middle of second half, leading Temple to a 19-2 run in the final 11 minutes of play.
Junior guard Ramone Moore also contributed with 11 points, five assists and seven rebounds of his own. Sophomore forward Dwayne Smith led the Colonials (15-13, 8-6 A-10) with 12 points and seven rebounds, while junior guard Aaron Ware put up 11 points of his own.
The loss knocks the Colonials to sixth place in the standings as they look to redeem themselves against A-10 opponent Rhode Island this Wednesday night. The Owls, meanwhile, will look to build on their recent 9-1 record at Massachusetts this Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Deshawn Townsend can be reached at [email protected].
