Here we are again… another loss to Xavier.
I really dislike losing to this team, it seems to give the insecure Xavier fans the false sense of them owning the city, but to each his own. I’m not going to lie and call this post-game drunk rant, because I’m sober. But I will cover the details of the game including some of the post-game antics.
UC came out of the gate ice cold. We couldn’t hit the broad-side of a barn, and Xavier came out hot as ever. I sat there and felt like I had watched this before.
UC has trailed at the half against Xavier by an average of 12 points the last 7 shootouts.
Our defense wasn’t very good, but even still – Xavier couldn’t miss. I was very happy with the play of Cane Broom though, he was aggressive and attacked the defense, getting to the free throw line and earning some extra points. Kyle Washington, once again, did not play well in a big game when the stakes are higher. It seems when the lights are bright he disappears with his 0/4 shooting, his 2 rebounds and 14 minutes played.
UC played a much better second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the 13-point halftime lead by Xavier. Broom continued playing well, Gary was a bit quiet in the second half, and Jacob Evans poured in 18 in the second half.
The last 15 minutes of the game, it really seemed like UC figured things out and was fighting for the win. We had multiple opportunities at the 70-57 juncture of the game to make a comeback, but lack of execution on open shots killed us. David Nyarsuk provided a breath of fresh air on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing boards, getting blocks, I see a lot of Justin Jackson in him. He’s still very shaky on the offensive side of the ball, but that’s ok, UC doesn’t need him to be an offensive super star.
UC lost this game in the first 5 minutes when they allowed Xavier to get out to a 21-5 lead. Once they acclimated themselves, they didn’t play bad. Although it may seem like the end of the world, it’s one game. A big game, but still – it’s one game.
UC has a chance to redeem themselves in Newark against the currently 6th ranked Florida Gators.
#GoBearcats
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