Que Johnson led the Cougars (9-19, 1-15) with 19 points before fouling out midway through the second half. Isn’t that what No. 1-busters do? But still. It was all rather… sane. Head coach Chris Mack and the Musketeers finally solved the riddle and slipped by their rival. Tonight, they threw five double-digit scorers at the nation’s top-ranked team, including two off a bench that contributed 34 points.
Advertisement
“We can’t think backwards, we gotta worry about thinking forward”, Mack told the media at Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s not like we’re 14-14. If we continue to get better, sky’s the limit”.
“If we were 14-14, we’d probably storm the court”.
BRIEF: Yale said captain Jack Montague (personal reasons) has left the team and will not return this season. The Musketeers were 30-for-60 shooting, with no middle help at all, as Xavier drove the lane at will at times.
Jenkins made three of his first four shots from beyond the arc, including one that sparked a 7-0 run and put Villanova ahead 19-13, its biggest lead of the game.
Tentative date: April 2, in Houston. This is their first ranking under first-year coach Shaka Smart.
Louisville (22-6, 11-4 ACC) led for a total of 10 minutes, 6 seconds, but used a 9-2 run in the final three minutes to win a contest that featured eight ties and nine lead changes. Xavier isn’t the underdog anymore, they aren’t the Cinderella story.
The win added the final missing piece to the Musketeers’ tournament resume – proof they can beat an elite opponent.
The Musketeers are thinking big, and no wonder. The Tar Heels are now the team in the good scheduling spot, so Syracuse will have to play one of their best games of the season to stay competitive. In a season devoid of juggernauts, why not them?
Who said Big East basketball was dead? “And when you do all those little things, everything else just opens up for you”. “This is breathtaking right now”. Xavier ain’t going anywhere soon. He’s one of only nine players in Division I with those averages.
The willingness to share?
Oh, how the Musketeers have suffered at Villanova’s hand, and wanted it to end.
The Wildcats embarrassed Xavier in their first meeting of the season.
Xavier is looking for a bit of a homecourt advantage as the Musketeers look to take down Nova after falling 95-64 in earlier this season. Bluiett managed just 11 points in the first game.
Gonzaga (21-7, 13-3 WCC): We very well could have our first NCAA tournament without the Bulldogs since 1998.
Edmond Sumner poured in 19 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, reminding the country that he has, in many ways, become the key to this team’s success. Yeah, that made a difference.
Can Villanova win at Xavier?
“We didn’t defend well, didn’t box out, gave up offensive rebounds and and-ones in transition”, Wright said. “Our team was able to shrug all that stuff off”. “Twitter is everywhere. Social media is everywhere”. “All that builds during the game and it costs you”. Our guys’ attention span is probably this big [putting two fingers barely apart]. When we’re on the road they have an attitude like, ‘Let’s lay it all out there. “It doesn’t faze them”. “He just presents such a challenge for the other team”.
“Beating the No. 1 team, it’s just such a great feeling, especially for as small of a school we have. March is coming and we have a whole month to get better”.
Advertisement
Xavier is primed to go deep into the tournament and has a chance at hoisting the trophy. They absolutely have to beat both Arkansas and Florida this week to remain in the field.
