Xavier University Athletics
Xavier University
5-1
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UTEP
4-0
Men's Basketball Falls, 77-73, to UTEP in Semifinals of DirecTV Wooden Legacy
11.28.14 | Men's Basketball
Final Stats | Box Score
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FULLERTON, Calif. - The Xavier Musketeers took a five-point lead into halftime against UTEP on Friday afternoon, but a second-half surge from UTEP was too much for the Musketeers to overcome. Xavier fell, 77-73, in the 2014 DirecTV Wooden Legacy semifinal on the campus of Cal State Fullerton, XU's first loss of the season. Four Musketeers scored in double figures to help keep Xavier (5-1) and UTEP (4-0) in a battle to the final horn.
The game was back-and-forth from the opening tip. The Miners' C.J. Cooper knocked in a three on UTEP's opening possession, but the Musketeers quickly answered with a jumper from senior Matt Stainbrook and a fast-break layup from junior Remy Abell that gave Xavier its first lead of the game. The Miners and Musketeers traded the lead until a five-point outburst from freshman Trevon Bluiett started an 8-0 run that had Xavier up, 14-7, with less than seven minutes gone from the contest.
UTEP answered Xavier's run with a 10-2 run of its own, keyed by eight points from the Miners' Earvin Morris, to give the Miners the lead, 17-16, with 7:55 remaining. Morris, who came into the game averaging 5.3 ppg., more than doubled his average scoring output over a four-minute span in the first half, knocking in 13 first-half points to prevent the Musketeers from creating a comfortable first half lead.
Xavier continued its hot outside shooting in the first half, using 3-pointers from Myles Davis and James Farr, plus an old fashion three-point play from Abell and an emphatic dunk from sophomore Jalen Reynolds, to retake the lead, 27-24, with 4:18 remaining before halftime. The Miners tied the game up with 2:32 remaining before the half, but another Myles Davis 3-pointer helped the Musketeers regain the lead that it wouldn't relinquish before the half. XU led 38-33 at halftime.
Myles Davis scored 11 points with three shots from beyond the arc in the first period to help build Xavier's five-point halftime cushion. Farr led Xavier with four rebounds and Dee Davis dished out three assists in the first half.
The Miners struck first in the second half, cutting the lead to two, 38-36, with three quick points from UTEP's Vince Hunter, who was limited to two points in a foul-plagued first half. A 3-pointer from Bluiett pushed the Xavier lead back out to five, but an 8-0 run from UTEP gave the Miners a 44-41 lead. Dee Davis knocked in a three to equalize the score and stem the tide of the UTEP run.
The Miners' Hunter answered with a 5-0 run of his own to give UTEP a five-point lead, 49-44, with 13:13 remaining in the game. The Miners benefitted from a wild desperation heave for three points at the end of the shot clock by Cooper, pushing Miner lead to six, 54-48, with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game.
It looked as though the game might slip out of striking distance for the Musketeers as UTEP pushed its lead out to seven, 56-49, with 8:42 remaining. That's when the Xavier offense came to life. A three from Bluiett and a breakaway layup from Dee Davis cut the Miner lead to two, 56-54, with eight minutes remaining in the game. UTEP responded and pushed the lead back out to eight, 68-60, with less than five minutes remaining.
The Musketeers continued to battle, cutting the lead to three with less than two minutes remaining. In the final minutes of the game, the Xavier defense turned up the back-court pressure, causing the Miners to turn the ball over with 00:42 remaining in the game with the Musketeers trailing, 72-69.
After a UTEP free throw pushed the lead out to four, Myles Davis connected on a floating jumper to cut the lead down to two, 73-71, with 16 seconds left.
The Musketeer's backcourt defense on the inbounds pass forced the Miners to take a timeout. On the ensuing play, UTEP broke the press, forcing the Musketeers to foul. The Miners' Cedrick Lang hit both free throws to push the lead back out to four. Dee Davis hit a layup with four seconds remaining to make it 75-73. A UTEP free throw put the lead at 76-73. XU tried a long pass on its ensuing possession with three seconds left to set up a 3-point shooter but the pass was intercepted and Hunter iced the game with a free throw that made the final score 77-73.
Myles Davis led the Musketeers with 15 points, knocking down three of Xavier's eight three-pointers. Bluiett hit double figures for the sixth straight game, scoring 13 points and hitting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Dee Davis helped key the Musketeers late effort, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half, and leading the team with five assists for the game. Stainbrook was the fourth Musketeer in double figures, scoring 11 and grabbing five rebounds. Reynolds led Xavier on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds.
UTEP's Cooper led all-scorers with 22. Hunter finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Miners. UTEP won the important battle of the boards, 40-31.
The Musketeers will play in the third-place game of the 2014 DirecTV Wooden Legacy on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 4:00 p.m. ET in Anaheim, Calif., in a game broadcast on ESPNU and 55KRC radio. Xavier will face the loser of the Washington and Long Beach State game to be played at 11:30 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN2.
Going into tonight's matchup, Washington is 4-0 with wins over South Carolina State, Seattle and Pacific. The Huskies also knocked off San Jose State, 78-56, in its quarterfinal game of the Wooden Legacy. Long Beach State (3-3) is a familiar opponent for the Musketeers, with one of its three losses coming at Cintas Center on Nov. 18 when the Musketeers defeated the 49ers, 97-74.
