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Undermanned Xavier Bests Dayton, Again
1/31/2013
In a rivalry that has become decidedly lopsided over the past few decades, the 2013 version of the Xavier-Dayton rivalry played out in both familiar and unfamiliar fashion at the Cintas Center on Wednesday night. The game, at its very essence, represented the respective teams and programs.
The Musketeers bested the Flyers in a 66-61 thriller, reminiscent of the previous few contests in Cincinnati. The only difference, this time, was that Dayton was the better team, with (who many thought was) the best player. Xavier erased those doubts with physical play, while showcasing Semaj Christon--who is, undoubtedly, the next thorn in the Flyers' side.
The final possessions of the game, the last 59.4 seconds, played out as they always do in Cincinnati. Dayton was agonizingly close. They couldn't finish. Xavier did. The streak continued.
With 59.4 to go, senior Kevin Dillard (12 points on 4-15 shooting) started the offense. They ran a set play for 15 seconds, with no results. Dillard got the ball back, and UD ran a pair of screens at Dee Davis to shake the pesky Muskie point guard. Neither worked. He hounded and handcuffed Dillard, who watched his runner bang off the rim and backboard.
Dayton fouled Travis Taylor, sending him to the line with 24.6 second left. He missed the front end of the one-and-one. He tapped his rebound to Jeff Robinson, who swung it to Davis. Dayton fouled, with 20.3 to go. Like Taylor, Davis missed the front end, but got his own rebound. Dayton fouled, again, with 18.2.
This time, though, Davis sunk both free throws, adding to his impressive (and efficient) line of 14 points, two rebounds and three assists (4-6/2-3/4-6 shooting).
With 13.4 remaining after advancing the ball and burning two timeouts, Dayton ran a set play to get the ball to Matt Derenbecker (9 points on 3-5 from three). He got a wide open look from three, and the ball rattled halfway down. And it popped back out.
Derenbecker sunk to his knees. Justin Martin grabbed the rebound, and was sent to the line. The student section roared. Chants of "Jimmy Carter" echoed through Cintas.
Martin's two free throws with 1.3 seconds sealed the 66-61 victory, and a 32nd year without a Dayton win in Cincinnati.
It was the unlikeliest of wins for Xavier, perhaps during the entire streak. Why? This was the weakest Xavier team in a long time. An inconsistent, young team that has shown to fold late in games. And a Dayton team, though not the best that had come to Cintas, that could score, and wanted to play a frenetic pace. If ever Dayton was to break the streak, it was this year.
And it didn't happen.
Xavier out-muscled Dayton all night long, out-rebounding them 36-18. Dayton managed a paltry six rebounds in the second half. The Musketeers crashed the offensive boards, pulling down 20 and scoring 35 second chance points along with 42 more in the paint.
The Musketeers also shot a deadly 52.8% from the field, slicing up the Flyer defense with a painstakingly slow pace. Contributions came from all over the court and bench.
Taylor was solid, scoring eight points and pulling down 11 rebounds. He made a couple of nice moves on Dayton's undersized big men late in the game. Robinson came to play with 12 points and five rebounds (four offensive), including a couple of dunks that brought down the house. He set the tone early for Xavier's dominance down low.
Isaiah Philmore played his best game in a Musketeer uniform, using his big body with maximum efficiency. He had eight points (4-4 from the field) and four rebounds, before leaving with an ankle injury. Martin was effective in stretches, scoring eight and pulling down five rebounds. He missed all three three-pointers, but he had several nice drives to the hoop and held his own while on the court. And Brad Redford, still suffering from his flu-like symptoms, managed just two shots (and a made three).
But the star, even when he wasn't having his best game, was again Christon. He scored just 13 points on 6-14 shooting with three assists and two steals. However, his impact went further than the stat line. He embodied the kind of tough guard that Xavier has always had, particularly in the past few years. Holloway, Jackson, Burrell, Lavender, Raymond, Sato, Chalmers, etc.
Dayton has never had guards like that. It became painfully obvious again on Wednesday night. Christon and Davis shut down Dillard, the fifth year senior, Dayton's best player and leader. He missed every two point shot he took. And he missed what could have been the deciding basket of the game. The freshman, Christon, made his -- a fall away jumper in the lane.
Moments like that define seasons, teams, and programs. Xavier might not be an NCAA tournament team this year. But Mack has instilled the classic Musketeer toughness in this team. Something the previous teams might have lacked.
He's building a foundation. And with a player like Christon and the ultimate glue-guy and leader in Davis, he has a good one.
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