Senior Guard Ashton Atwater Attempts Mid Range Shot Over Defender SXU Athletics
The Cougars have had a rocky season, and after losing four straight games, SXU finally gets back in the win column with a 79-69 win over Indiana University at South Bend (IUSB).
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to get a winning streak going as they fell short to conference rivals, Judson University (JU). After leading 41-37 at halftime and blowing an 11 point lead late in the second half, the Cougars lost by only five points in the contest with a final score of 89-83.
To say the men’s basketball squad is struggling is an understatement. After Saturday’s match against Judson, the Cougars stand at a record of 7-12 and an underwhelming conference record of 5-7. They are yet to win a single game on the road with an abysmal 0-9 away record.
You read that correctly, the Cougars have lost nine straight games on the road. It just seems like they can’t get it done unless they’re playing in Shannon Center, as they hold a 6-2 home record.
When they played Judson at home back in their November 22, 2025 matchup, they won in blowout fashion with a final score of 80-55, but once homecourt advantage was taken away, the Cougars couldn’t secure the dub.
Then when the Cougars played IUSB on the road in their November 25, 2025 matchup, they lost by three points as they fell short 72-75. But as soon as they rematched at Shannon Center, the Cougars claimed victory with a double digit deficit.
It is yet to be determined what the issue is for the Cougars and why they seem to struggle on the road. They have defeated many of their conference rivals with no issue at home, but they tend to become a problem once the Cougars have to play them at their home floor.
Saint Xavier University vs. Indiana University at South Bend: 79-69 (W)
The Cougars started this game very well as they took control with a 25-5 lead in the beginning of the first half. They ended up with a 39-28 halftime lead, but IUSB started to storm back and go on their own run.
Although IUSB won the second half scoring 41 points, SXU was too much for them and made sure this win was theirs.
Senior guard Ashton Atwater led the way with a game-high 18 points which is his season-best. He went 6/11 from the field, 2/4 from three-point range, and made all four free throw attempts.
Senior guard Jerry Abushanab contributed efficiently as he chipped in 16 points, shot over 60 percent from the field, made three of his four three point attempts, and all three free throws. Abushanab also grabbed six rebounds and two assists.
Senior forward Davion Lawrence also had a great game as he was the third leading scorer, finishing with 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
Junior forward Marko Tojagic played a solid game off the bench as he finished with seven points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
Saint Xavier University vs. Judson University: 83-89 (L)
The Cougar’s road game woes continued as they embarrassingly took defeat against the 4-16 Judson Eagles. This loss gave Judson their first conference win of the season and of course keeps SXU winless on the road.
Abushanab had a dominant showing in this game as he finished with a season-high 25 points, shooting 6/9 from the field, made three of his four three-point attempts, and went 10/13 from the free throw line. Abushanab also finished with six rebounds and an assist.
Although both Lawrence and Atwater fouled out in this game, they completed their night with good statlines. Lawrence finished the game with 16 points and made all four of his free throws, and Atwater finished with 11 points, three assists, and four steals while going 6/6 from the free throw line.
Senior forward Grant Martin played well as he collected 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Besides one missed free throw, Martin didn’t miss at all in this match, going 5/5 from the field and 1/1 from three.
Senior guard Ike Nwaobi was the star off the bench as he finished with 11 points, four rebounds, and a steal which was all done in 10 minutes of play.
The Cougars hope to find their way back into the winning column and finally earn their first road win of the season against Indiana University Northwest. Action takes place in Gary, Indiana on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7:00 PM.