There was a point last night where Xavier, after having pulled to a ten point lead, had let the Redhawks of Miami back within four points. For Xavier fans, it was a familiar scene. The team had begun to pull away in the game only for stuttering offense and shambolic defense to let an opponent back in the game. This time, though, the script changed.
Against IUPUI and Evansville, two ultimate buy games, Xavier had thrown away huge first half leads en route to winning close games. That, combined with three straight losses, had given Musketeers fans plenty of reason for doubt.