PDA

View Full Version : Holloway provides way for third-straight Shootout crown in double OT, 83-79



kyxu
12-14-2009, 12:09 AM
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj89/xhoops/Holloway.jpgHolloway provides way for third-straight Shootout crown in double OT, 83-79
by Mike Damone

In Sunday night’s 77th edition of the Crosstown Shootout, the unranked underdog hobbled into the contest, played an inspired game, rallied and knocked off its nationally-ranked counterpart, who was coming off the momentum of a few impressive wins.

So in other words...same old Shootout.

Except – for the first time in this rivalry’s illustrious history – it took two overtimes to decide the victor, as Xavier (6-3) rallied on several occasions before finally holding on in a thriller to upset the #19 Cincinnati Bearcats, 83-79, Tuesday night at the Cintas Center. It was the third-straight Shootout victory for Xavier – the longest such streak since the 1984-86 seasons.

But as the final score would indicate, it wasn’t easy for the Musketeers. Xavier looked dead in the water on several occasions in the extra frames, but hung with the Bearcats (6-2) just long enough to wear down its crosstown rival. In fact, the Musketeers never led until sophomore Terrell Holloway (26 pts, 4 ast) dropped a dime to senior Jason Love (7 pts, 19 reb, 5 blks) for a lay-in that would put Xavier up for good, 81-79, with 40 seconds to play in the second overtime.

And speaking of Holloway, the point guard from Long Island played easily his best game in a Xavier uniform, effectively carrying his Musketeer team to the critical victory. UC seemed to have the game in hand after Deonta Vaughn (11 pts, 2 ast, 9 reb) scored on a break away to put the Bearcats up 5, 72-67, with just under a minute to play in the first overtime.

Holloway was double-teamed on the ensuing possession, but was fouled and dropped both freebies to cut Xavier’s deficit to three. Holloway cashed in yet again from the line after forcing a steal that Love corralled, trimming Xavier’s deficit to a single point with just 27 seconds to go.

Dion Dixon (3 points) pushed UC’s lead back to three off a pair of free throws, but Holloway struck again, kissing a runner high off the glass while drawing the foul. Holloway, of course, drained the free throw to knot the game at 74 with under 20 seconds to go. UC’s potential game-winner drew hard iron to send the game to another OT.

Similar to the first one, UC drew first blood in the second overtime, going up by three early, 77-74, off a Vaughn lay-up. On the next possession, Holloway drained a fall-away jumper on a double-team to bring Xavier back to within one.

Xavier knotted the game back up with a lay-in from Love off a feed from Jordan Crawford (16 pts, 6 reb), and the Bearcats couldn’t answer. Less than a minute and a half later, Holloway was cut off driving to the lane, but he still found Love for the lay-in to give Xavier the lead for good. UC set up for the game-winning shot, but Dixon’s three missed and junior Dante Jackson (9 pts, 3 reb) corralled the rebound. Jackson and Love each went 1-for-2 from the line in the final seconds to ice the game for the Musketeers and give Chris Mack a victory in his Crosstown coaching debut – the first such feat for a Xavier coach since Pete Gillen in 1986.

Xavier controlled the game early, racing out to 10-4 lead, thanks to two triples from Jackson, and two free throws from Crawford put Xavier up 12-5 with 14:34 left in the first half. UC would then settle in to a nice 14-0 run over nine minutes as XU went ice cold, giving the Bearcats a 19-12 lead. Darnell Wilks (8 pts, 5 reb) led the run with two threes.

Then somehow, the game turned. As Jackson was driving the lane, he was yanked to the floor by Cashmere Wright (4 pts, 4 ast, 3 reb), which led to some choice words between Crawford and Rashad Bishop (5 pts, 3 reb), who were both issued technical fouls for their exuberance. The spurt of hostility seemed to galvanize the Musketeers, sending them on a 12-2 run to re-claim the lead, 24-21, spearheaded by six from Holloway.

The ill will between the squads reached a crescendo when super-frosh Lance Stephenson (22 pts, 6 reb) took off on a breakaway, but was fouled hard by Love, warranting an intentional foul call and more words and shoving between the teams. Officials and coaches worked to separate the benches quickly.

Ibrahima Thomas (2 pts, 2 reb) later knotted the game again with a jam, but Holloway gave Xavier back the lead with two free throws and canned a three from the wing to put the Musketeers up five at the half, 31-26.

The first few minutes of the second half appeared to be all Xavier, as Crawford splashed a three to give Xavier its largest lead of the game, 45-35, with 14:16 to go in the second half. The Bearcats would roar back, going on a 20-6 run over nearly nine minutes to make it officially a dogfight.

Stephenson scored seven straight to tie the game, and Wright gave the Bearcats their first lead since the first half, 51-49, with 8:09 to play. Sophomore Kenny Frease (9 pts, 5 reb, 3 blk) got a baby-hook to go to tie the game again, 55-55, and Crawford gave Xavier the lead back on a jumper with 2:14 to play.

With the game tied at 59 with just 31 seconds to go, Holloway knocked down a long jumper just inside the three-point line to gave Xavier the lead again, but Yancy Gates (18 pts, 6 reb) tied it up for the Bearcats with a pair of free throws. Jackson had the potential game-winner off a Holloway miss, but the game clock expired to send it to overtime just before the ball left his hand.

Stephenson and Gates teamed up to give UC an early four-point lead in the first overtime, but sophomore Mark Lyons (11 pts, 3 reb) single-handedly brought Xavier back to knot the game at 65 with 3:01 to play. An impressive step-back jumper from Stephenson gave the Bearcats a three-point lead and Vaughn’s lay-up on a break off Crawford’s missed three gave the Bearcats a five-point lead before the Musketeers would rally.

The Bearcats entered the game with a decisive interior advantage of size and strength, which was apparent with the Bearcats owning the rebounding edge, 52-43, and finishing the game with 18 second-chance points to Xavier’s eight. The bane of UC’s evening, however, was free throws, with the Bearcats going just 10-for-22. Xavier, on the other hand, made the most of its opportunities, shooting 77 percent from the charity stripe. No player was a bigger factor from the line than Holloway, who finished a perfect 11-for-11.

Holloway’s composure under such circumstances provided a tremendous example for his team, as he virtually willed his team to the victory, contributing a career-high in points. And though he had a relatively quiet night offensively, Love finished with a game-high 19 rebounds and five blocks. The gritty performances of these two will likely be remembered in the annals of Crosstown lore for years to follow.

Playing in his first Shootout, the young Stephenson did not disappoint, leading the Bearcats with 22 points, followed by 18 from Gates.

Xavier hits the road to Indianapolis’s lengendary Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on another formidable opponent in its grueling non-conference schedule, as the Musketeers match up with the #20 Butler Bulldogs on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs are coming off a 74-66 victory over #15 Ohio State. The Bulldogs stunned the Musketeers last December in Cincinnati, 74-65.