While it may not have been the longest week for basketball, it sure was the best, filled with action and excitement that’ll make anyone believe in Cougar basketball.
Men
Starting out with the men, they had two games this week. The biggest question for them heading into the week was whether or not they can continue to rack up wins, and prove themselves as a legitimate threat in their division.
Wed, Jan 27
Starting out their week, the men faced up against Trinity International University. Trinity was 10-7 at this point, so this would prove to be an even match up for the 12-8 Cougars
First Half
At the end of the first half, SXU is leading 53-10. While both teams were even in shooting percentage and rebounding numbers, what gave SXU the sheer advantage here was their pesky defense. SXU forced Trinity to cough up the ball an alarming 12 times.
The leading man at the half was guard Quinn Niego. Niego had 14pts, 2stls, and an assist. If the Cougars want to leave the game with a win, then they just need to continue to force turnovers, and continue to shoot the rock at a high percentage.
Second Half
In the end, the Cougars were able to pull out a win against Trinity 91-80. There were four Cougars with double-digit points which show that SXU played good team basketball in which everyone was able to join in the fun.
Even though the team as a whole played excellently, no one can ignore the game that sophomore guard Larry Motuzis had totaling 28pts, 7rbs, and 4asts.
Sat, Jan 29
This was the second game of the week for the men, and they matched up against 12-11 Holy Cross College. Will the 12-8 Cougars continue their dominance?
First Half
At the end of a competitive first half, the Cougars were only leading by a measly three pts; 32-29.Both teams were shooting a solid 50% from the field, and both teams left their butterfingers at home as neither team turned over the ball that often.
The only real advantage SXU had in this half was the fact that they were able to get to the line and convert on all four of their free-throws vs. Holy Cross who failed to get to the line once. The leading man for SXU at the half was guard Kyle Huppe, who had eight pts, one ast and one stl.
If the Cougars want to pull out the W, then they would have to shoot a better percentage from the field, and create more defensive stops in order to slow down Holly Cross.
Second Half/OT
This exhilarating game was to tie at the end of the second half; 70-70. Even though Holy Cross competed enough to get it to OT, SXU showed they wanted it more by pulling away with a 91-81 finish in a back and forth rollercoaster of a game.
What made the difference here was rebounding as the Cougars outrebounded Holy Cross by 13. 11 of SXU’s 44 total rebounds were offensive, which is extremely important in creating second chance points.
Again, four players had double-digit points, and three of which had 20 or more points. Guard Stanley Moore was the leading man with 22 pts, 10 rbs, and seven ast;three shy from getting a triple-double.
With the season winding down, there’s still time to go out and show the Men’s basketball team some love. And be sure to keep it locked here at The Xavierite for more Men’s basketball updates.
Women
Moving on to the Women, they had just one game this week, but despite this they still showed up and showed out, entertaining the crowd and making SXU proud.
Wed, Jan 27
In this game, (22-1) SXU was matched up against (7-12) Trinity International University. Would the Cougars steam roll past this team, or would Trinity pull out the upset?
First Half
At the end of the first half SXU was leading Trinity 51-34. The Cougars were everywhere tonight, showing up on defense, and showing out on offense. The Cougars shot 6-12 (50%) from the 3pt and forced Trinity to turn over the ball 13 times good enough to create more scoring chances for them.
The leading lady for SXU in the half was guard Kara Krolicki who had 13 pts, two rbs, and three ast. To win, SXU just needed to heat it up from the 3pt line, and play pesky defense to stop Trinity from scoring, and creating more scoring opportunities for them.
Second Half
SXU ended up getting the win; 98-79. The Cougars took advantage of Trinity’s 21 turnovers by scoring 27pts off of them. This was a great example of great defense turning into an even better offense. SXU also outrebounded Trinity by five rebounds.
The leading lady was guard Kara Krolicki who had 22pts, three rbs, and fourasts.
Both the Men’s and Women’s basketball teams are on hot streaks that should not go unnoticed. Only support from their home peers here at SXU will help them perform better.
Keep it locked here to get updates on all sports including women’s basketball.
Kenneth Washington
Deputy Sports Editor