Musketeers Hold Off Tigers in Overtime to Take Opening Round Win at Tire Pros Invite

Thursday, November 17

Orlando, Fla.

1 p.m.

Xavier University

3-0

Missouri

1-1

OT 1

Xavier

Missouri

Musketeers Hold Off Tigers in Overtime to Take Opening Round Win at Tire Pros Invite

11.17.16 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Sumner hits last second free throw to seal win, finishes with 18 points

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A free throw for Edmond Sumner in the final second of overtime secured a come-from-behind win for the Xavier Musketeers in the opening game of the Tire Pros Invitational at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Musketeers will now face Clemson on Friday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN U.

Sumner was one of five Musketeers to hit double-figures, scoring 18 points. J.P. Macura led Xavier with 19 points. Sean O'Mara had six critical points in the overtime period to set a new career high with 13 total. Trevon Bluiett, who sat much of the second half with four fouls, also added 13 points.

RaShid Gaston set Xavier career highs with 12 points and 10 boards to post his first double-double as a Musketeer.

The Musketeers won on the strength of its inside game, going 2-of-22 from three, but shooting 26-of-48 on shots inside the line, including getting 44 points in the paint to just 28 for Mizzou. Xavier also owned a 19-9 advantage on the offensive glass to outscore the Tigers 18-8 on second chance points. Overall, Xavier out-rebounded the Tigers 52-39, led by Gaston's 10 boards.

Xavier took a 4-0 lead in the opening minutes pushing the lead to as many as six before an 11-2 Mizzou run put the Tigers up, 14-11. Another run for Missouri, scoring six unanswered, pushed the lead out to seven 22-15, with under eight remaining.

Both teams hitting seven field goals in the first 12 minutes, Missouri on 7-16 shooting, Xavier going 7-of-20 after earning second opportunities on five offensive boards to one for the Tigers. Missouri's advantage was largely built at the line, hitting 8 of 10 in the early going of the game to 0-2 for the Musketeers.

Mizzou pushed its advantage out to 10, 31-21, when Bluiett hit back-to-back buckets with under four minutes remaining, starting a 12-2 run over the next two minutes, capped by a dunk for RaShid Gaston to tie the game, 33-33.Xavier briefly retook the lead on a Quentin Goodin free throw, 35-34, but the two teams went into the closing seconds tied 36-36 before a bucket in the closing seconds put Missouri up, 38-36, at halftime.

Macura had nine points to lead the Musketeers in the first 20 minutes, and Sumner, Bluiett and Gaston each added six. Xavier hit on 14 of 35 shots to 12 of 27 for Mizzou. Each team grabbed 15 defensive boards, but the Musketeers' 10 offensive board to two for the Tigers turned into a 9-2 advantage on second chance points, and a 20-12 advantage on points in the paint.

In the second half, Bluiett picked up a pair of early fouls, giving him four with less than a minute gone from the second half. Mizzou extended the lead early in the period, but Macura took over on offense, leading Xavier with six points to cut into the Tiger lead.

Xavier tied the game multiple times down the stretch, unable to take the lead until a steal from Bernard turned into a breakaway dunk for Gaston, putting Xavier up, 63-61 with five minutes to play.

The Musketeers led by as many as four, but the Tigers put together a 6-2 run to close tie the game 71-71 in the closing minutes. A shot at the buzzer for Sumner missed to send the game to overtime.

The Musketeers scored four unanswered to open overtime, extending the lead to as many as five, but the Tigers again responded, using a 7-0 run to take an 80-78 lead.

After hitting a pair of free throws and a lay-up, O'Mara hit another shot to bring his total to six points for overtime, tying the game at 80. Mizzou retook the lead in the final minute, but a pair of Macura free throws made it 82-all with time for one possession left.

Mizzou turned the ball over with less than 10 seconds in overtime, sending Sumner to the line to prevent what would have been the game-winning basket. Sumner came up just short on the first, but the second one bounced in to give Xavier the 83-82 win.

The Musketeers continue in the winner's bracket of the Tire Pros Invitational, facing off with a Clemson team that took down Davidson 95-78 in the tournament's opening match-up. Xavier is set to tip at 1:30 p.m., following the Missouri/Davidson game set to begin at 11:30 a.m. The game will be available on ESPN U and 700WLW.