SXU guard Cedric Johnson attempting a shot against IUN SXU Athletics
SXU vs. Trinity Christian: 85-59 (W)
SXU’s men’s basketball team went against Trinity Christian on Wednesday, Jan. 31 in a CCAC matchup on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center.
Saint Xavier played a very good game and had a dominating showing with a final score of 85-59
There were a lot of positives for them as they shot 33-66 ( 50%) from the field. This was the ninth time this season that they have shot 50% or higher.
SXU accumulated 40 rebounds, the sixth time this year that they’ve had 40 or more. Another positive was on the defensive end, they collected 13 steals, the third most this season. Their season best was 15 against Judon back in November 2023.
The Cougars started the game on a 7-0 run, but the Trolls did come back into the game with 14:47 remaining in the first. SXU took a 22-12 lead with 10:42 on the clock and ran away with the game.
They entered the half up 43-33. They came out of the half dominating and continued to build up their lead to eventually win the game by 25 points.
Freshman forward James Stevenson led the scoring for the Cougars. He recorded his first collegiate double-double by finishing with a stat line of 21 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and an assist in 26 minutes. It was a very efficient 21 points as he shot 9-12 (75.0%) to top off a superb performance. It was the third time in four games that he has scored 20 or more.
Junior Forward Sando Hill had an excellent overall game on both sides of the floor. He ended the night with 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, and four steals. Hill shot 7-9 from the field, a 77.7% shooting percentage.
Senior guard Julian Barr had a season-high 15 points and tied his season-best with six rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
However, the Cougars did lower the turnovers in which they had 10. They have to continue to make great plays without losing the ball.
SXU vs. Indiana University Northwest (72-78) (L)
SXU went on the road to take on Indiana University Northwest on Saturday, Feb. 3 at the Savannah Center in Gary, Indiana. It was a close game between both sides, but the Cougars fell short, losing the game 72-78.
SXU did start the game down 6-0 but made their way back with a 9-0 run to put them ahead with 14:48 in the first half. They entered the half up 31-27 but IUN found their footing and made it hard on the Cougars. IUN fought back and led 45-50 at 11:47.
The Redhawks took their biggest lead in the game 58-70 in the second half with 4:54 remaining. The Cougars tried their hardest to climb back at the end, but the Redhawks held on to a 6-point win.
The Cougars shot 24-61 (39.3%), and 7-20 (35.0) on the night. They had some good looks, but could not knock them down. From the charity stride, they converted 17-21 (81.0%).
Senior guard Cedric Johnson returned to the lineup after missing the last 3 games. His final stats comprised 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Johnson played 39 minutes and shot 6-16 (37.5%), and 1-6 (16.6%) from downtown.
Barr provided some scoring off the bench for SXU in 34 minutes. He scored 16 points, and also had five rebounds two assists, and was active on the defensive end, claiming 4 steals. Barr shot 4-13 from the floor, and 6-8 from the free throw line. Brandon added 15 points, 5 rebounds, and one block in 24 minutes of play, shooting 5-10, and 3-4 from three.
Saint Xavier’s record after these two games is now 9-5 in conference, and 14-8 on the season. They now sit in fifth place in the conference and are two games out of second place. They have 6 games remaining on the season as they are looking to close out strong for the postseason.
SXU’s upcoming matchup will see them face Roosevelt University on Wednesday, Feb., 7 at the Goodman Center in Chicago, IL. The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.