Following four straight conference losses at the tail end of January, Saint Xavier’s men’s basketball team experienced its lowest point of the 2016-17 season. However, a turn of the calendar proved to be the start of an upward trend.
The Cougars are finding their groove in the final month of the regular season. Three straight victories – including a 91-88 upset win over No. 10 Robert Morris University (RMU) – puts the men in a favorable position in terms of the CCAC tournament.
With a strong finish, the Cougars should see postseason action. They currently boast an 8-8 conference record, which is good for fourth in the CCAC North division.
After a 116-63 beat down over East-West University, Saint Xavier welcomed CCAC North leading Robert Morris to the Shannon Center on Wednesday, February 4. Assistant coach John Chappetto and the Cougars had a plan to serve the Eagles their first conference loss of the year.
“Attack them off the drive, get layups and set up our three-point shots off our drives and kicks,” coach Chappetto said postgame regarding his team’s offensive game plan. “Defensively, we felt like we had to play 40 minutes, get back on our end to contest shots and rebound against them.”
Saint Xavier worked its plan to perfection. The Cougars countered Robert Morris’ size by crashing two-to-three players toward the basket and won the overall rebounding battle, 33-29.
The Cougars knew they would have their hands full against Darius Randolph, Darius Paul and Antonio Levy. The trio combined for 82 of the Eagles’ 88 points, but it was Saint Xavier’s offense that stole the show.
Freshman forward Jack Brody had a monster night by scoring 26 points to go along with his five created turnovers in 38 minutes of play. Junior guard Quinn Niego also stepped up in a big way with a double-double.
“We feel like Jack [Brody] and Quinn [Niego] are our guys who have been our best players all year long,” coach Chappetto said. “Jack was a difference maker tonight.”
Brody and Niego had huge roles in the Cougars upset victory, although fans at the Shannon Center would not be able to celebrate if it was not for the team’s complimentary players.
Senior guard Kyle Huppe and junior sharp-shooter Jared Jones combined for 28 points on 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) shooting Wednesday evening. Isaac Mathews, Keating Rombach, Niko Cahue and Mike Kozela also provided invaluable contributions in 46 collective minutes of playing time.
After a clutch baseline jumper by Quinn Niego late in the contest, Robert Morris stared at a three-point deficit with only seconds remaining in regulation. A missed three-point field goal by the Eagles led to a Cougars baseline in-bounds set under RMU’s basket.
With 16 seconds to play, Jack Brody’s bounce pass was stolen by Robert Morris. As the clock winded down, the Eagles had a look at four three-point attempts thanks to three offensive rebounds. Each RMU shot failed to find the bottom of the basket before the final horn sounded.
“Sometimes you need breaks in order to get a big win,” Coach Chappetto said, with a smirk.
Ultimately, the Cougars feel confident in calling that performance a team win. Knocking off a top-10 opponent calls for a boost to the ego, but head coach Tom O’Malley stresses a simple message to his players.
“You are only as good as your next game,” coach Chappetto paraphrased of the 20-year veteran O’Malley. “Basketball season is so long that you go through peaks and valleys. Now, this is an all-time high.”
Saint Xavier kept its momentum rolling with another complete performance against Indiana University Northwest just three days later. The 90-81 victory marked the men’s 11th home win, and are now tasked to challenge Judson University on the road Wednesday, February 8.
The Cougars’ next home contest will be Saturday, February 11 against Roosevelt University at 3:00 PM. The game will be broadcasted live on WXAV.com or 88.3 FM Chicago.
Mike Rankin
Senior Sports Editor