This one started slowly for Xavier, as EKU’s senior center Nick Mayo came out of the gates hot. The school’s newly-minted all-time leading scorer proved an impossible matchup for either of X’s big men, dragging them out to the perimeter and going to work. His productivity had EKU up 23-16 with 10 minutes off the clock, and things were looking grim in Cintas.
A couple things changed to put Xavier on top. First, Coach Steele switched to a 2-3 zone, delegating the responsibility of slowing down Mayo to multiple players. Second, Mayo picked up his second foul and went to the bench.