It was almost a case of "deja vu all over again" - The Xavier Musketeers, needing a "signature" road win to impress the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, go into a hostile environment and defeat a very good SEC team. Last year, it was the Florida Gators. This season, it was the Georgia Bulldogs who fell victim to the Muskies.
This one was a nail-biter until the final moments. The lead swung back and forth, and neither team led by more than 5 points until late. The first half was a battle of big men, as Kenny Frease and Jamel McLean accounted for 15 of Xavier's 26 first half points. Uncharacteristically, leading scorer Tu Holloway was held scoreless. Characteristically, though, Holloway saved his best for the second half, scoring 18 points in the final stanza to lead Xavier.
It was not a particularly pretty game from an offensive perspective. Neither team shot well, with Xavier shooting 37% and the Bulldogs 39%. However, what the game lacked in offensive firepower was made up for in the intensity of two teams needing an out-of-conference win to built their tournament resume. Xavier came into the contest ranked 24th in the RPI, while Georgia was ranked 39th. " I think it was one that we needed,” said Muskie coach Chris Mack.
The difference in this game was Xavier's second half adjustments on defense. Georgia seemed to score at will on back door cuts to the basket in the first half. In the second half, Xavier closed that avenue, and Georgia was hard pressed to find an answer. Coupled with the defense was the mastery of Tu Holloway to draw contact and get to the line, as well as wearing down opponents and getting to the basket. Holloway was a perfect 11-11 at the line, including 6 in the final minute that opened up a game that was closer than the final score indicated.
Besides Holloway, three other Muskies finished in double digits in scoring - Mark Lyons (14 points), Frease (10 points) and McLean, who posted a double-double with 10 rebounds to go along with his 12 points. Dante Jackson broke out of his 3-point shooting slump, hitting 3-4 from beyond the arc to add 9 points. Georgia was led by Trey Thompkins' 14 points.
With the win, Xavier improves to 17-6, and appears like a lock to reach the 20 win plateau for the sixth straight year, and for the 14th time out of the last 15 seasons.
Next up for the Muskies is a battle with A-10 co-leaders Duquesne in Pittsburgh. Game time is Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
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