Saint Xavier’s men’s basketball team entered January with a goal to make noise in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC). Eight of the Cougars’ nine January matchups were against CCAC opponents.
The men opened the month strong by winning three of their first four games. Among the victories included one over 19th ranked and CCAC South division leading University of Saint Francis.
With a 7-4 conference record following the win, Saint Xavier had an opportunity to grab a firm hold of the North alongside division leaders Robert Morris and Trinity International. Unfortunately, the men watched it slip through their fingers.
Since defeating Saint Francis on January 7, the Cougars own only two wins and are looking to end a four game losing streak against conference foes. Saint Xavier stands 11-13 overall and 7-8 in the CCAC, which is good for fourth place in the North.
Two back-breaking losses for the Cougars came in consecutive contests. The first was a home loss to Olivet Nazarene University.
Olivet, a middle-of-the-pack team this season, waltzed into the Shannon Center, a place where the Cougars boast a 9-3 record, and took care of business. The Tigers were clinging to a 14-point lead with just over 11 minutes to play before Saint Xavier cut the deficit to four.
With 1:08 remaining in regulation, sophomore guard Jacob Strong led the Cougars’ offense following a big defensive stop. Efforts from Jack Brody, Quinn Niego, and Jacob Strong were not enough, as the possession ended in a turnover after three solid looks at the basket.
Saint Xavier failed to come out ahead in the big moment and ultimately fell by a final of 83-79.
The Cougars needed to erase that loss from the memory banks quickly, as they traveled to Deerfield, Illinois four days later to take on No. 17 Trinity International University for the second time this season. In November, the men were triumphant over the Trojans, 104-78.
This CCAC rematch contained two teams with respective narratives trending in opposite directions. Saint Xavier is clinging to the cusp of relevancy, while Trinity International competes for the division crown.
The Cougars fought valiantly to rewrite their story and get back on track against a ranked opponent, but combined efforts from Trinity’s Zach Kirschbaum and Grant Corsi proved to be too much for coach Tom O’Malley’s club.
Similar to the Olivet game, Saint Xavier had opportunities to tie or take the lead. However, empty offensive possessions late in the contest proved to be the Cougars’ demise in consecutive affairs.
February will be a telling month for Saint Xavier. Five of the remaining six regular season contests are against CCAC opponents.
The men have another chance to rewrite their story on the 2016-17 season. Its new chapter begins Wednesday, February 1st against No. 10 ranked and division leading Robert Morris University.
If you can’t make it to the Shannon Center Wednesday evening, the game will be broadcasted live on WXAV 88.3 FM or WXAV.com beginning at 6:45 PM.
Mike Rankin
Senior Sports Editor