Xavier will set out to rebound from an inconsistent performance in its season opener when the Musketeers host IU Indianapolis on Friday night in Cincinnati.
Xavier (1-0) overcame a nine-point deficit and a poor rebounding effort in the first half to register a 78-69 win over Texas Southern on Monday night. IU Indianapolis (1-0), formerly IUPUI, routed IU Columbus 100-44 in their Monday opener.
It wasn’t easy for Xavier in its first game, as Texas Southern had six offensive rebounds in the first half that led to 10 second-chance points. Texas Southern took a 38-34 halftime lead thanks also to 6-for-13 shooting from beyond the arc.
“They hurt us badly rebounding,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “We’re gonna have to rebound much better as a group. There’s no better way to learn that than playing another team and getting exposed.”
The Musketeers outscored Texas Southern 44-31 in the second half to win their 35th consecutive season opener.
Indiana State transfer Ryan Conwell finished with a game-high 21 points, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. The Musketeers won the game at the free throw line, going 34-of-41 from the stripe while Texas Southern was just 11-of-13.
“We’ll take the win, learn from it, grow and I believe we have a chance to be a lot better in certain areas,” Miller said.
The rebranded Jaguars played their first game under new head coach Paul Corsaro on Monday and made a powerful first impression, racing out to a 48-21 halftime lead with an entirely new roster of 16 players.
Guard Sean Craig led four Jaguars in double digits with 16 points and 11 rebounds while freshman Keenan Garner also had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
“It’s always good to get a win. It’s our first win as a team and it’s IU Indy’s first win as a rebranded basketball program, so that’s really, really special,” Corsaro said. “I thought these guys competed hard for 40 minutes and I thought all 12 guys that played today gave us something positive. I’m really proud of our group.”
–Field Level Media
