The Saint Xavier Cougar men’s basketball team moved their win streak to 16 (20-2 overall, 10-1 in the CCAC) with two victories against conference foes.
Fifteenth Straight Win
The Cougars picked up their 15th consecutive win against the Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) Crimson Wave on Wednesday, this one with a final score of 71-55.
Senior guard Brad Karp rebounded from a lackluster offensive performance against Olivet Nazarene, scoring 27 points and grabbing nine boards against CCSJ.
Senior Michael Simpson had a double-double. The 5-7 point guard finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds, six of which were of the offensive variety. What he lacks in size, Simpson makes up for in leaping ability and timing.
Interestingly, junior guard Jack Krieger did not start this game, despite having just scored a career-high 31 points against Olivet Nazarene.
He came off the bench and struggled in his 24 minutes, but he would get back on track against the University of Saint Francis (Ill.).
Home Win Over USF
In their most recent triumph on Saturday, the Cougars dispatched the Fighting Saints of USF 84-72.
Krieger was the second leading scorer, dropping 21 (including two three-pointers) and picking up six rebounds in his 39 minutes.
He was outdone only by Karp, who scored 22 and brought down 12 rebounds. Karp experienced rare struggles at the free-throw line, finishing 11-of-16 from the charity stripe. He regained his stroke by the end of the game, however.
Sophomore forward/center Josh Mawhorr, returning from an ankle injury, showed some offensive versatility in the contest. He scored eight points, had two assists, a block and a steal.
Getting to the basket and playing in the post has been Mawhorr’s game all year, but against USF he was able to start knocking down some mid-range jumpers.
Senior Munir Smith provided some solid bench play. He finished with only four points, but in 22 minutes he provided eight rebounds, three dishes and tied Krieger for the team-high with four steals.
Trouble with the Backcourt?
Throughout the year, Saint Xavier has had difficulty guarding athletic post players.
Aaron Larson, a 6-7 Olivet Nazarene guard/forward, put up 20 points and brought down seven rebounds against SXU.
Terrell John, a 6-2 Purdue-North Central forward (who played bigger than his listed height), scored 17 points and corralled 10 rebounds, even while missing seven of his eight free-throw attempts.
But in these two most recent games, it was the opposing guards who gave the Cougars the most trouble.
Robert Jackson, a 6-3 junior guard, was the leading scorer for CCSJ with 22 points. He was also the leading rebounder, bringing down 11.
Chris Miller led the Fighting Saints on Saturday with 23 points against the Cougars. His perimeter shooting gave the Cougars fits, draining three three-pointers.
Miller, at 5-11, represented a matchup that Simpson is used to winning. But Simpson fouled out with just under seven minutes left in the game.
Looking Ahead
The Cougars have a contest tonight at Holy Cross College (Ind.) at 6:30 p.m.
The bigger upcoming matchup is against No. 1-ranked Cardinal Stritch University (Wisc.) on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Cougars will look to avenge their 82-74 loss against the Wolves on Nov. 20.
The recent trouble containing guards will need to be resolved before Saturday’s game against the Wolves, as junior guard Tony Smit and senior guard Derek Semenas scored 26 and 24 points, respectively, against the Cougars in the first game.
Simpson, a former member of the Wolves, will be looking to improve on his 1-for-18 shooting night in the first meeting.
The home Milwaukee crowd let Simpson hear their displeasure every time he touched the ball in that first game, so the support of a large, Cougar cheering section could provide the difference. The team certainly hopes you can come out.
If you cannot make it to the Shannon Center, however, the broadcast can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM with pregame buildup starting at 2:50 p.m. The video feed of the game is also available on sxucougars.com.
The Saint Xavier Cougar men’s basketball team moved their win streak to 16 (20-2 overall, 10-1 in the CCAC) with two victories against conference foes.
Tim Carroll
Senior Sports Editor