So Close, yet So Far

John Lafollette
Contributing Sportswriter

The Xavier Musketeers’ unlikely trip to the NCAA Tournament ended abruptly on Thursday in a first-round loss to the 3-seeded Bulldogs of Gonzaga, 79-75. A familiar theme played out again for Xavier, as they saw a healthy lead evaporate against a major opponent for the third time this season.

Xavier, after trailing early, had Gonzaga on the ropes for most of the game. But the Bulldogs, led by junior forward Adam Morrison, outscored Xavier 16-6 in the closing minutes of the game to avoid the upset.

The Gonzaga star led all scorers with 35 points, including seven in the game’s final two minutes, despite Xavier’s defensive effort.

Senior big man J.P. Batista also pulled down eight rebounds for Gonzaga.

Xavier was led in scoring by Stanley Burrell with 22 points, and in rebounding by Brandon Cole, who grabbed seven boards for the Musketeers.

Though he was double- and triple-teamed for most of the game, Morrison seemed constantly to take control.

He did not get the number of shots he wanted in the first half, and was seen berating his teammates and coaches, profanely at times. Morrison overcame his first half troubles, shooting 6-11 from the field in the second half, including 2-3 three-pointers, and making six of seven free throws.

The Musketeers lost the rebounding battle 18-10 in the second half. In one of the game’s most pivotal scores, Xavier lost the rebound of a missed Morrison free throw to Batista, who put in an easy lay-up to cut the Xavier lead to two points with 2:30 remaining.

A quick three-pointer by Morrison on the next possession gave the Bulldogs their first lead since midway through the first half.

Missed free throws also plagued Xavier down the stretch.

The Musketeers hit just nine of 15 free throws in the second half, including two missed free throws by freshman guard Johnny Wolf with 3:56 left in the game, shots that would have given Xavier a six-point lead.

"When you’re in tournament play and you miss both free throws, you’re not going to advance," said Xavier head coach Sean Miller.

While their early exit was disappointing, the Musketeers’ post-season performance earned them high marks in the eyes of their fans.

"We exceeded the expectations of most," said junior forward Justin Doellman. "A lot of people didn’t even have us here."

Xavier also impressed their coaches with their play.

"We had set out this year and had three goals: to win a conference championship, to win 20 or more games, and to get to the NCAA Tournament," said Miller. "We did all three. There’s no coach prouder of their team than me."

Next year’s season appears to be promising.

The Musketeers will return all five starters, and expect a deeper, stronger lineup that includes high school standout and red-shirt freshman Derrick Brown and speedy guard Drew Lavender, who sat out this season following his transfer from the University of Oklahoma.