SXU forward Jordan Jackson SXU Athletics
Saint Xavier University vs. St. Ambrose 103-101 (W)
The Saint Xavier University’s (SXU)’s men’s basketball team just skipped past St. Ambrose 103-101 on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Lee Lohman Arena in Davenport, Iowa.
Senior forward, Jordan Jackson, led the way for the Cougars, scoring 25 points on an efficient 11-14 shooting from the floor. He also added three rebounds but later fouled out of the game with 20 seconds left.
Both teams were trading baskets in the first half, SXU had a seven-point lead at 16:52. At the end of the half SXU held onto a 50-48 lead.
St. Ambrose stormed back and had a seven-point lead for themselves. At the 7:56 mark, SXU regained their lead and led by six after a three-pointer from junior guard Mekhi Wilson.
Both teams went down to the wire, with the Bees missing two opportunities to send the game to overtime from the free-throw line.
It was a huge win for SXU as they are now tied for the NO. 3 seed in the conference standings, with a final game remaining in the regular season.
Junior guard, Deoantre Warren, ended the game with 18 points, two rebounds, and two steals. He shot 4-9 from behind the three-point line and was an overall 7-15.
Senior forward, Andre Brandon tallied 15 points with seven rebounds.
Senior forward, Kevin Bishop had a final statline of 11 points, seven rebounds, and an assist.
SXU dominated when it came from points off the bench. The Cougars had a total of 54 while St. Ambrose had only 7.
Overall it was a close game between two good teams, but the Cougars came out on top to collect another win.
Saint Xavier University vs. St. Francis 70-54 (W)
Continuing onto the last game of the regular season, the Cougars hosted the University of St. Francis, securing a 70-54 win. It was a dominant win on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Shannon Center as they head into playoff basketball.
It was a quick 10-0 start to the game for SXU, but St. Francis went on a 13-0 run to take the lead at the 9:38 mark. Both teams took turns taking the lead and by halftime, both teams were tied 27-27.
After each team had 37 points, SXU went on a 12-0 run to take a 37-49 advantage. This set the tone for the rest of the second half and they had as much as a 19-point lead with 3 minutes remaining.
In 30 minutes of play, Brandon recorded 14 points, and seven rebounds on 3-7 shooting.
Jackson concluded the game with 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 32 minutes.
Bishop had 13 points, eight rebounds, and two steals in 27 minutes
SXU’s shooting splits were 21-48 (43.8%) as a whole. They shot 9-24 (37.5%) from the three-point line and 19-27 (70.4%) from the charity stride.
The Cougars locked in the NO.3 spot with an overall record of 19-9 and 14-6 in the conference,
In their last game against St. Francis, SXU could not collect the win, but this time around, they played much better on both ends of the floor to gather the win.
It was a good regular season for the Cougars, they played collective basketball which is what all teams should do. They make a good case to be on the best teams in the tournament and they are looking to prove that this upcoming week.
The Cougars will kick off the CCAC Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 25. At the time of writing there is no opponent determined, but SXU is looking to make a playoff run to the championship game.