Game Thread: Xavier v University of Connecticut (12/18/2024)

[paulxu]

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/2a1f45a0-e1cc-4202-89d7-1b7b5c27f309_1.3c18d8e111cdcd7e8a271effb6000907.jp eg?odnHeight=612&odnWidth=612&odnBg=FFFFFFVS.https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/91d67577-b273-44ec-a7e2-654e37ff98b4.7e57417e27ce28545b20f3ef0ae48063.jpeg ?odnHeight=612&odnWidth=612&odnBg=FFFFFF
CINCINNATI --- The Xavier University Musketeers, 8-3, open BIG EAST Conference play against the No. 11 University of Connecticut Huskies, 8-3, on Wednesday night in Hartford, Conn. Xavier is 8-3 all-time in BIG EAST openers, including wins in three of its last four openers.

Xavier will be without the services of leading scorer and rebounder Zach Freemantle, preseason Second Team All-BIG EAST selection, who sustained a lower body injury in Saturday's game at Cincinnati. He will be sidelined indefinitely.

THE MATCHUP
XAVIER UNIVERSITY MUSKETEERS (8-3, 0-0 BIG EAST)
NO. 11 UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (8-3, 0-0 BIG EAST)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2024 AT 7:00 PM ET
XL CENTER IN HARTFORD, CONN.

TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS

TV/Stream: FS1 with play-by-play from Alex Faust and analysis from Bill Raftery.
Xavier Radio: 700 WLW with play-by-play from Xavier Hall of Famer Joe Sunderman ('79) and analysis from XU all-time leading scorer and Hall of Famer Byron Larkin ('88). XU broadcast is also available on the Varsity Network and on Sirius XM.

Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com (http://Statbroadcast.com) and fan stats at GoXavier.com (http://GoXavier.com).

[Xavier]

I gambled for about 3 weeks before realizing I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But the opening line of X+12.5 seems so low. I’d be all over UConn

[Xville]

I gambled for about 3 weeks before realizing I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But the opening line of X+12.5 seems so low. I’d be all over UConn

It’s now at 11.5 I’m thinking of putting the mortgage on UConn , but I’ll probably just not touch it. I’m angry enough about the season lol

[Xville]

Ok F it it's gameday. Putting all my angst and frustration over this program to bed for today, and looking forward to this one. Most likely X has to keep it in the 60s to win...let's get back to what the Xavier program was built on. Toughness and slaying the giants....stay focused, play tough d, get good shots and shock the world.

[drudy23]

We have talented players, just not the greatest roster balance right now.

Time for Swain and Dayvion to step up and score like we know they can. Post play by committee. Just do enough to keep us in games, and let our guards lead the way.

[Xville]

Good News: Samson Johnson is out tonight, so one less big to worry about.

Bad news: Tarris Reed will play more.

[GoMuskies]

I see the spread at 13/+790 now. I believe it got as high as 14.

[drudy23]

Might be worth $10-20 bucks on the money line at that level. Great return!

8x ROI

[Xville]

It’s now at 11.5 I’m thinking of putting the mortgage on UConn , but I’ll probably just not touch it. I’m angry enough about the season lol

Yep screw it. $20 on the moneyline at +750

[drudy23]

Yep screw it. $20 on the moneyline at +750

Love it.

[Xville]

Fantastic first war

[Xville]

Maddox is horrible. WTH has happened with him and hugley

[noteggs]

Big John yes but Maddox seems like he has game just has to find it

[xukeith]

Nice Maddox. Good D from Hugley. Good defense for X limiting UConn to 0/6.

[xukeith]

Looking good. 12- 0 run up 2.

[noteggs]

Gritty performance so far

[xukeith]

Excellent defense. I believe. 99% in.

[noteggs]

I’ll take it

[xukeith]

X 30, UConn 29.

I will take it. Maybe this defense/rebounding X team can carry X to 11 BE wins. Maybe.

[Xavier]

Really gutsy half. Even as they hit 3 straight 3s we hang on. Can’t imagine doing it again but good fight and sign at least.

[SkyWalker]

Nice half. Solid D. Respectable Offense. Players stepping up!

[paulxu]

Impressive, and only 1 offensive board.
Defense is keeping us in there.

[Xavgrad08]

Played with a lot of heart. Need to get more out of Hugley and Swain. Hugley averaged 8 points a game last year at Oklahoma. Any contribution he can make on offense would be helpful.

[Xville]

Leading at half I’ll freaking take it! Tempo and score exactly what we need to do to win. I’ll take another half just like it!

[X-band '01]

Deja vu from 2 years ago. Xavier lacks Freemantle's offensive presence, but their defense is a lot better when he's not in the lineup.

Just hope foul trouble doesn't become an issue in the 2nd half.

[noteggs]

Deja vu from 2 years ago. Xavier lacks Freemantle's offensive presence, but their defense is a lot better when he's not in the lineup.

Just hope foul trouble doesn't become an issue in the 2nd half.


The foul curse

[Xuperman]

UConn getting all junk ball stuff. If X doesn't start getting some breaks and Zebra calls....this may get ugly.

[Xville]

We are competing hard as hell. All you can ask for.

[noteggs]

We are competing hard as hell. All you can ask for.

100%

[SkyWalker]

Are we a better TEAM without Freemantle?

[xukeith]

Maybe X won't finsh in bottom half. Maybe.....

[noteggs]

Are we a better TEAM without Freemantle?

Team and not relying ? Perhaps. Rebounding, absolutely not.

[paulxu]

Got to have more than one offensive board/game.

Prove me wrong...please!

[Xuperman]

With this Maddox...I am feeling a Hugley hero moment. ;-)

[GoMuskies]

Win or lose, this is about the best Xavier basketball game I've ever watched.

[Xville]

One hell of an effort either way.
I feeel good about the rest of the season even if we don’t pull it out. Masterful job by everyone

[Xville]

Ugh! Damn it. Ok let’s get a stop

[HenryMuto]

JFC no shot up

[xukeith]

Why did Swain slap at his arm?

[HenryMuto]

ONIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just wish that was last possession

[Xville]

I take back everything I ever said about Maddox this year. This is the guy we thought we were getting.

[Xville]

One stop come on boys

[Xville]

You seriously call that? Are you effing kidding me?

[HenryMuto]

JFC you can't fcking call that

[paulxu]

What a shit call

[Xville]

If we lose because of that bullshit call we should protest. What a bunch of shit

[HenryMuto]

3 ball for the win time

[Xville]

Go for the win. Get an open three and either way I’m good with it

[Xville]

lol makeup call

[paulxu]

Hah! a make up call.

[paulxu]

Interesting that Hurley listening to Murray during the TO

[HenryMuto]

Overtime !

[GoMuskies]

Hurley is such a bitch.

[paulxu]

T up the pagent mom and win the game with no time !!!

[Xville]

Mcneeley should have gone to Duke with his flopping. Fuck that guy

[paulxu]

Now 2 offensive boards :)

[Xville]

Reed just killing us

[paulxu]

We don't have the beef to compete in the paint, especially in the BE.
Proud of our guys fighting so hard tonight.

[Xville]

Guys have absolutely played their hearts out. Either way I appreciate the effort and the game tonight. Feel good about the rest of the season if they play with this kind of effort the rest of the season and Maddox plays like this Maddox

[GoMuskies]

Shoot Maddox!

[paulxu]

Whole bunch of offensive boards on one play!!

[Xville]

Damn. A little too much UConn. Get Marquette on Saturday. Play with this effort all season and we will get the 12 wins x needs

[HenryMuto]

Well damn it turns it would been better if they didn't foul to end regulation and we had a 3 point shot to win or lose it.

[paulxu]

Why ever were they holding the ball and not shooting. WHY?

[GoMuskies]

Not sure why Maddox got shy at the end there. Oh, well.

[paulxu]

Hurley can eat a bag 'o dicks.

[Xville]

Get Marquette on Saturday and all is well.

[Xville]

X needs that Maddox every game the rest of the season

[ArizonaXUGrad]

Here is the hope, this is the X team we see game in game out the rest of the year. What we don't want to see, this was one of those 5 games coaches talk about where the team plays way above itself.

[Xville]

Here is the hope, this is the X team we see game in game out the rest of the year. What we don't want to see, this was one of those 5 games coaches talk about where the team plays way above itself.

Correct. What can translate every game though is the effort and thst kind of efffort I haven’t seen all year until now. It looked so different

[XUGRAD80]

If there is such a thing as a moral victory, that was one of them. I’m proud of the effort. If they can play that hard the rest of the year (and shoot that well) they will win some games. Ya gotta believe!

[Muskie in dayton]

Hurley can eat a bag 'o dicks.
A coworker I haven’t seen in 8-months just texted me out of the blue: “Dan Hurley is a punk-ass bitch”.
He’s correct.

[bleedXblue]

With a decent big man playing a little D we win that game.

[bjf123]

If there is such a thing as a moral victory, that was one of them. I’m proud of the effort. If they can play that hard the rest of the year (and shoot that well) they will win some games. Ya gotta believe!

^^This!^^


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[xukeith]

We need that McKnight for entire game.
How can X rebound better with this frontcourt?

[Xville]

We need that McKnight for entire game.
How can X rebound better with this frontcourt?

I don’t think anything scheme wise. We have who we have and everyone is crashing. Guys are trying, and the effort was there tonight. Dunno what else that can be done. Not a fan of this saying but it’s applicable here: it is what it is

[Xville]

5-1 is doable in the next six if they play like that. It’s a big if, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility like I thought it was befor the game.
If they can do that or even go 4-2, x puts itself in decent position.

[Xavier]

Yep. Honestly the D will have to give everything they can and then be slightly more vulnerable to rebounds. Have to just hope it goes your way. I am surprised they didn’t just pick and roll us the whole night. Overall it gives a glimmer of hope that the season isn’t lost, and if they beat Marquette it opens the door again.

[GreatWhiteNorth]

Our guys’ performance tonight makes me proud. Keep this up and X will be in the Dance.

[MHettel]

Our guys’ performance tonight makes me proud. Keep this up and X will be in the Dance.

I wish my life were as simple as yours.

We made FIVE more 3s on the same number of attempts. We were outrebounded by 8. We were out assisted by 12. They had 8 more blocks than us. And 4 more steals.

We got beaten. Not beat. Beaten.

54% 3 pt shooting by us. Not sustainable. Obviously.

Don’t look at a unreproduceable shooting night and think we competed tonight.

I would have LOVED to have won. But that wouldn’t make us any more of the team than we are.

We’re bad. Like 7-13 bad.

[Xuperman]

With a decent big man playing a little D we win that game.

If Swain gets his head out of his ass and scores 4 points instead of TWO....we win that game.

[OTRMUSKIE]

Great game! This team might be better without free. Time will tell and that of course makes no sense but maybe they are. Saturday is going to be huge!!! Win that win and season is back on.

[Xville]

I wish my life were as simple as yours.

We made FIVE more 3s on the same number of attempts. We were outrebounded by 8. We were out assisted by 12. They had 8 more blocks than us. And 4 more steals.

We got beaten. Not beat. Beaten.

54% 3 pt shooting by us. Not sustainable. Obviously.

Don’t look at a unreproduceable shooting night and think we competed tonight.

I would have LOVED to have won. But that wouldn’t make us any more of the team than we are.

We’re bad. Like 7-13 bad.

Play our best game of the season and someone invited the wet blanket over. Did you watch the game or just look at the box score?

[A Fan]

I wish my life were as simple as yours.

We made FIVE more 3s on the same number of attempts. We were outrebounded by 8. We were out assisted by 12. They had 8 more blocks than us. And 4 more steals.

We got beaten. Not beat. Beaten.

54% 3 pt shooting by us. Not sustainable. Obviously.

Don’t look at a unreproduceable shooting night and think we competed tonight.

I would have LOVED to have won. But that wouldn’t make us any more of the team than we are.

We’re bad. Like 7-13 bad.

No , 54 percent shooting is not sustainable. What is sustainable is the confidence and grit to make this shots under pressure. Sports is not just about wins , it’s about how a team responds when everyone has written them off. That was one of the best games I have ever seen Xavier play, because no team gave more.

[XUGRAD80]

I wish my life were as simple as yours.

We made FIVE more 3s on the same number of attempts.
We were outrebounded by 8.
We were out assisted by 12.
They had 8 more blocks than us.
And 4 more steals.

1). Some of that can be contributed to X playing good defense and not allowing the UConn players to stand wide open and shoot. Some of it to Maddox getting very hot for a spell in the 2nd half. He hit some shots that he normally won’t make.
2). X will struggle there because of being smaller than most teams. No surprise. But if a team gets 3-4 offensive rebounds on the same play it will still result in only ONE additional basket. That happened more than once.
3) X was driving to the basket for many of its scores. UConn wasn’t. That explains much of that difference.
4) X isn’t going to block many shots playing small ball. Are you surprised by that?
5) I wouldn’t say that is a huge difference. Counting steals is somewhat arbitrary. Was it a steal? Or just a fumble by the offensive player? A bad pass? Or a dribble mistake? Was it a steal or a gift?

With those wide discrepancies, how in the world did that game go into overtime? What do the stats say? When I look at the team stats it’s hard to see where X was even in the game, let alone got it into overtime. UConn was better in virtually every area other than number of 3 pointers made and 3 point shooting percentage. I guess that it just goes to show that stats can sometime give a false picture.

[Final4]

Fool's gold??? Gawd I hope not but shooting 54% on 24 3pt attempts will mask alot of deficiencies. We may very well not shoot that good again the balance of the season. And what the hell is up with Swain? Can he not contribute anything offensively?

[muskieindent]

If Swain gets his head out of his ass and scores 4 points instead of TWO....we win that game.

What is Swain's game?You hear about all this potential but what is he bringing?Points off turnovers and fast breaks seem to be the only way he can score.Obviously he isn't a 3 point shooter. He needs to take it to the hole more . He is a good foul shooter. Drive and get fouled.
I'm encouraged by what I saw last night but then again we shot the lights out and still lost. I think more often than not we will win if we make 13 three pointers but how often is that going to happen.We need this effort Saturday vs Marquette

[GoMuskies]

I wish my life were as simple as yours.

We made FIVE more 3s on the same number of attempts. We were outrebounded by 8. We were out assisted by 12. They had 8 more blocks than us. And 4 more steals.

We got beaten. Not beat. Beaten.

54% 3 pt shooting by us. Not sustainable. Obviously.

Don’t look at a unreproduceable shooting night and think we competed tonight.

I would have LOVED to have won. But that wouldn’t make us any more of the team than we are.

We’re bad. Like 7-13 bad.

I get where you're coming from, but also we were on the road at one of the five best teams in the country (think you can erase Maui at this point). We found out what some of our guys have in them, and we won't have to play THAT well to win any other game the rest of the season.

We'll probably have some stinker nights when shots aren't falling, but overall I think the optimism is warranted coming out of last night. And that's the first time I've felt that way in the last two seasons.

[Xville]

What is Swain's game?You hear about all this potential but what is he bringing?Points off turnovers and fast breaks seem to be the only way he can score.Obviously he isn't a 3 point shooter. He needs to take it to the hole more . He is a good foul shooter. Drive and get fouled.
I'm encouraged by what I saw last night but then again we shot the lights out and still lost. I think more often than not we will win if we make 13 three pointers but how often is that going to happen.We need this effort Saturday vs Marquette

I think Saturday is going to answer a lot of our questions. Something that shouldn't be a question is our effort. If we give that kind of effort every game, then we will win some games. If we take nights off, which frankly we have done quite a bit this season, it's going to be a very long conference season.

Yes, it's going to be rare that we shoot like that, but what I did see from an offensive standpoint was more aggression and better movement/passing. That should translate to getting better shots, and getting to the rim a lot easier than we had been. I'm encouraged by what I saw last night, but I do so with hesitation because I need to see it for more than one game.

[xukeith]

I think Marquette's defense is considerably betyter than UConn. Lots of chaos by Smart's squad.

[Xville]

I think Marquette's defense is considerably betyter than UConn. Lots of chaos by Smart's squad.

By the metrics, you are correct. However, they play a lot of zone. So, if X moves the ball like they did last night, there should be quite a few open shots. X just has to make them.

[Jumpin_Jamal_Forever]

That was a great effort last night. Hats off to the guys for their grit and fearlessness.

But wet blanket or not, have to agree with Hettel. The numbers don't lie. We stayed in the game almost entirely due to three-point shooting and that shooting, while it may remain a strength of this team, is not replicable over the course of the season. It just isn't. As far as the kudos for the defense, down the stretch we could not stop them.

We were torched last night by their back-up "5". Reed played 35 minutes, had 13 boards, 20 points, 4 blocks, two steals and two assists. Our backup? Well, he played 19 minutes, had 3 rebounds, two points, no blocks, no steals and no assists. For those who recorded the game, have another look at the final minutes, UConn was lobbing it into Reed camped near the basket. He became one of their primary offensive options. We had no answer for him despite our effort, fearlessness and intensity. And, so it is likely to go for the rest of the season. We may finish near the middle of the conference and, if we are lucky, get an NIT bid.

No, sorry. As much as I want to see us turn lemons into lemonade, I don't see it.

Happy to have my head up my ass on this as the season goes on.

[Xville]

That was a great effort last night. Hats off to the guys for their grit and fearlessness.

But wet blanket or not, have to agree with Hettel. The numbers don't lie. We stayed in the game almost entirely due to three-point shooting and that shooting, while it may remain a strength of this team, is not replicable over the course of the season. It just isn't. As far as the kudos for the defense, down the stretch we could not stop them.

We were torched last night by their back-up "5". Reed played 35 minutes, had 13 boards, 20 points, 4 blocks, two steals and two assists. Our backup? Well, he played 19 minutes, had 3 rebounds, two points, no blocks, no steals and no assists. For those who recorded the game, have another look at the final minutes, UConn was lobbing it into Reed camped near the basket. He became one of their primary offensive options. We had no answer for him despite our effort, fearlessness and intensity. And, so it is likely to go for the rest of the season. We may finish near the middle of the conference and, if we are lucky, get an NIT bid.

No, sorry. As much as I want to see us turn lemons into lemonade, I don't see it.

Happy to have my head up my ass on this as the season goes on.

That's almost every team. They are ranked the #3 offense for a reason. We aren't going to face another offense like that the rest of the season except for them at Cintas.

Reed is only a backup in name only as I assume you view as well since you put backup in quotes. He's better than Samson in almost every aspect, which is why before the game I said, the bad news was Reed is going to play more.

IMO that's the toughest game we are going to have in conference play...away at UCONN. Doesn't mean we won't lose other games, but if we play with that level of effort consistently, we can be above .500 in conference and have a decent year. We will see if X can have that consistent effort or not.

[nickgyp]

Tough game to lose but, as others have posted, a helluva effort in one of the best Xavier games to watch in recent memory. Undermanned and on the road, the Muskies stood toe-to-toe with UCONN trading punches. It was fun to watch. Wish X had won but with that kind of effort, the rest of the games should be very competitive. Congrats to the team for leaving it all on the floor.

[MHettel]

1). Some of that can be contributed to X playing good defense and not allowing the UConn players to stand wide open and shoot. Some of it to Maddox getting very hot for a spell in the 2nd half. He hit some shots that he normally won’t make.
2). X will struggle there because of being smaller than most teams. No surprise. But if a team gets 3-4 offensive rebounds on the same play it will still result in only ONE additional basket. That happened more than once.
3) X was driving to the basket for many of its scores. UConn wasn’t. That explains much of that difference.
4) X isn’t going to block many shots playing small ball. Are you surprised by that?
5) I wouldn’t say that is a huge difference. Counting steals is somewhat arbitrary. Was it a steal? Or just a fumble by the offensive player? A bad pass? Or a dribble mistake? Was it a steal or a gift?

With those wide discrepancies, how in the world did that game go into overtime? What do the stats say? When I look at the team stats it’s hard to see where X was even in the game, let alone got it into overtime. UConn was better in virtually every area other than number of 3 pointers made and 3 point shooting percentage. I guess that it just goes to show that stats can sometime give a false picture.

It’s the 5 extra made 3s. Thats 15 points te. UConn shot 33%, which isn’t good but not bad either. 15 extra points goes a LONG way towards making the game appear close.

Also it was an OT game and UConn scored 94 points in spite of not shooting the 3 ball well. Did anyone mention that?

We can’t count on going 13-24 from 3 each night. We didn’t actually show anything in the game that IS sustainable. People like the hustle? The grit? We got blown out on the boards and owners inside. That hustle and grit didn’t translate to anything productive.

[Xville]

It’s the 5 extra made 3s. Thats 15 points te. UConn shot 33%, which isn’t good but not bad either. 15 extra points goes a LONG way towards making the game appear close.

Also it was an OT game and UConn scored 94 points in spite of not shooting the 3 ball well. Did anyone mention that?

We can’t count on going 13-24 from 3 each night. We didn’t actually show anything in the game that IS sustainable. People like the hustle? The grit? We got blown out on the boards and owners inside. That hustle and grit didn’t translate to anything productive.

Did you watch the game?

We gave up 78 points in regulation. That's about what Gonzaga, Texas, Baylor and Memphis all gave up in regulation against them. Go ahead and check how uconn shot against Gonzaga and Baylor from 3 during those games. I'll wait.

To say that "we" didn't show anything in the game that is sustainable is again ignoring how the game was played.That hustle and grit didn't translate to anything productive? Really? It kept us in a game with a chance to win against one of the best teams in basketball on their home court , which they hardly ever lose at.

[A Fan]

It’s the 5 extra made 3s. Thats 15 points te. UConn shot 33%, which isn’t good but not bad either. 15 extra points goes a LONG way towards making the game appear close.

Also it was an OT game and UConn scored 94 points in spite of not shooting the 3 ball well. Did anyone mention that?

We can’t count on going 13-24 from 3 each night. We didn’t actually show anything in the game that IS sustainable. People like the hustle? The grit? We got blown out on the boards and owners inside. That hustle and grit didn’t translate to anything productive.



What’s not fair is saying nothing from that performance is sustainable. The team showed a lot of grit and hustle, and while shooting 13-24 from three may not be something they can rely on every night, the energy, defensive efforts, and execution in critical moments are sustainable aspects that can carry over into future games.

It’s easy to focus on the negatives, but dismissing the positive aspects as temporary or unsustainable ignores the growth and potential the team showed, especially under pressure. To say that nothing is sustainable is overly critical and reveals an implicit bias that taints any otherwise objective points.

[paulxu]

When they send it low to Reed (6'10" 260) and we expect Swain (6'8" 220) to keep him off the basket...bad things will happen.
Traore would have helped a lot.
That's just a reality for this team all year.

[Xuperman]

Bottom line.....last night's shooting numbers are not EVER going to be consistent, but isn't the real problem going forward our roster?

We have 4 guards that can straight up ball and are among 4 of the best the Big East has shown. Then you have Hunter. That's it. While disappointing so far...Swain is going to figure it out VERY SOON. I don't have a clue what Hugely and Fletcher are doing out there.

It's simply not realistic to win enough games with that group to do much of anything record wise. Set winning 8 games as the over/under.

[bleedXblue]

When they send it low to Reed (6'10" 260) and we expect Swain (6'8" 220) to keep him off the basket...bad things will happen.
Traore would have helped a lot.
That's just a reality for this team all year.

and yet we never zoned last night to HELP

realize that has consequences too

[GoMuskies]

We did zone for a bit. Our zones under Miller have, to this point, been incredibly ineffective, and last night was no exception. So we didn't stay in it long.

[drudy23]

Amazing offensive display - opposite on the defensive end.

I wasn't expecting the 85 Bears on defense, but alot of what UConn got was simply too easy. I don't even want to know how many layups they had, from both the post and through straight line drives down the center of the lane.

We're probably not going to have that type of offensive game again, but we can still beat teams with the talent we have on offense with just a small increase in defensive aptitude. I think we can get to .500 in the league, but as the season wears on you, it will also wear on the players. More injuries and setbacks should be expected playing guys this many minutes, but there's really no alternative.

It's going to take a miracle to get an at-large bid, unless Swain decides to do what the others did and just play free and ball out. UConn is still a very good team.

[XUGRAD80]

It’s the 5 extra made 3s. Thats 15 points te. UConn shot 33%, which isn’t good but not bad either. 15 extra points goes a LONG way towards making the game appear close.

Also it was an OT game and UConn scored 94 points in spite of not shooting the 3 ball well. Did anyone mention that?

We can’t count on going 13-24 from 3 each night. We didn’t actually show anything in the game that IS sustainable. People like the hustle? The grit? We got blown out on the boards and owners inside. That hustle and grit didn’t translate to anything productive.

No that s NOT 15 extra points…it’s 5. For every 3 that X made, UConn made a 2. In addition, UConn made 4 more field goals total, than X did. Another way to look at it is that if there was no 3 point field goals, UConn would have outscored X by 8 points in field goals and 2 points on free throws. A total of 10 points. But X picked up 5 points on the 3 pointers and we have a 5 point difference in the final score.

[bleedXblue]

Outrebounded by 8 - seems about right

We had 10 TO's to their 7

Thats 11 extra possessions

With as good as this team shoots it, we should be able to stay in most games but need to proect the ball better OR create more turnovers. Take your pick. Its really that simple.

[MHettel]

No that s NOT 15 extra points…it’s 5. For every 3 that X made, UConn made a 2. In addition, UConn made 4 more field goals total, than X did. Another way to look at it is that if there was no 3 point field goals, UConn would have outscored X by 8 points in field goals and 2 points on free throws. A total of 10 points. But X picked up 5 points on the 3 pointers and we have a 5 point difference in the final score.

No, we scored 15 more points than them from 3. That’s just a fact.

This gave the impression that the game was very close and competitive and ignores the fact that we simply shot the lights out and got drilled in literally every other facet of the game.

Look, I’d have loved to win that game. They made 20 of 21 let’s say they miss just one more in regulation. We win! But that doesn’t change anything about the overall performance. We got outrebounded and murdered inside. Winning or losing doesn’t change that. Shooting 55% from 3 doesn’t change that.

This team was already not playing as a squad and there were some obvious flaws in the roster. Now we are down Green and Free and they started playing better together and still needed a once a season type shooting night to stay in.

Look, if we would have made 3 fewer threes and lost by 9 in regulation but showed some inside toughness, I’d be feeling a lot more optimistic.

[94GRAD]

No, we scored 15 more points than them from 3. That’s just a fact.

This gave the impression that the game was very close and competitive and ignores the fact that we simply shot the lights out and got drilled in literally every other facet of the game.

Look, I’d have loved to win that game. They made 20 of 21 let’s say they miss just one more in regulation. We win! But that doesn’t change anything about the overall performance. We got outrebounded and murdered inside. Winning or losing doesn’t change that. Shooting 55% from 3 doesn’t change that.

This team was already not playing as a squad and there were some obvious flaws in the roster. Now we are down Green and Free and they started playing better together and still needed a once a season type shooting night to stay in.

Look, if we would have made 3 fewer threes and lost by 9 in regulation but showed some inside toughness, I’d be feeling a lot more optimistic.

Saying you'd rather lose in regulation by 9 than overtime by 5 is something.

[Xville]

No, we scored 15 more points than them from 3. That’s just a fact.

This gave the impression that the game was very close and competitive and ignores the fact that we simply shot the lights out and got drilled in literally every other facet of the game.

Look, I’d have loved to win that game. They made 20 of 21 let’s say they miss just one more in regulation. We win! But that doesn’t change anything about the overall performance. We got outrebounded and murdered inside. Winning or losing doesn’t change that. Shooting 55% from 3 doesn’t change that.

This team was already not playing as a squad and there were some obvious flaws in the roster. Now we are down Green and Free and they started playing better together and still needed a once a season type shooting night to stay in.

Look, if we would have made 3 fewer threes and lost by 9 in regulation but showed some inside toughness, I’d be feeling a lot more optimistic.

Did you watch the game?

[XUGRAD80]

No, we scored 15 more points than them from 3. That’s just a fact.

This gave the impression that the game was very close and competitive……

.

And UConn scored 10 more points from 2 than X did….15-10=5

Obviously not a math major, right?

10 ties and 21 lead changes says that it WAS a competitive and close game. The fact that it was tied at the end of regulation and went into overtime says that it WAS a competitive and close game.

I suppose that if X had scored 1 more basket in regulation, or that UConn had scored one less, you’d say that it wasn’t a close or competitive game?

I’ll agree that in most statistical areas UConn was superior. I’ll agree that X shot better from 3 than we can expect them to in future games. But I’ll say that X also played better permitter defense than they had in prior games and that UConn probably won’t hit 20-21 on free throws in future games. The only stat that matters in the end is the score. A loss is a loss.

[drudy23]

If I'm being honest, it was a fantastic game to watch. It was very entertaining. I was having fun.

But damn, we need to finish some of these resume building games.

[Xville]

If I'm being honest, it was a fantastic game to watch. It was very entertaining. I was having fun.

But damn, we need to finish some of these resume building games.

It was probably the most enjoyable Xavier game I have watched in two years. The last two years and the Steele years, it was a freaking chore to watch this team.

With all that said, yes X needs to start winning these and closing out games. Hopefully, it starts Saturday. The schedule gets a little easier for a bit after that, so a confidence building win could get them on the right track.

[drudy23]

It was probably the most enjoyable Xavier game I have watched in two years. The last two years and the Steele years, it was a freaking chore to watch this team.

With all that said, yes X needs to start winning these and closing out games. Hopefully, it starts Saturday. The schedule gets a little easier for a bit after that, so a confidence building win could get them on the right track.

Without a doubt.

If the average national fan tuned in to watch that game, they would think we were a lock for the NCAA tournament.

It was great to see, and gave me hope this team could have an outside shot to get in (I know they can't play that way for 20 more games consistently). But if we can replicate some of that against the better teams in the league and avoid the very bad loss, we may be in the hunt.

I am worried about the fatigue at some point down the line. Can we get to 12-8?

[noteggs]

Did you watch the game?

We gave up 78 points in regulation. That's about what Gonzaga, Texas, Baylor and Memphis all gave up in regulation against them. Go ahead and check how uconn shot against Gonzaga and Baylor from 3 during those games. I'll wait.

To say that "we" didn't show anything in the game that is sustainable is again ignoring how the game was played.That hustle and grit didn't translate to anything productive? Really? It kept us in a game with a chance to win against one of the best teams in basketball on their home court , which they hardly ever lose at.

Yeah I heard the announcers say the last time UConn lost a home game was to X almost 2 years ago. Not a bad home streak.