Vanderbilt Takes Xavier in OT

Two young teams showed jitters at the foul line down the stretch and Vanderbilt overcame a 13-point Xavier lead to win 66-64 in overtime at the Cintas Center.

Vanderbilt's entire starting five graduated and the senior-less team came to Cincinnati struggling with 2-4 record.  An equally young Xavier team was fresh off a big win on the road at Purdue, sporting just one senior transfer, Travis Taylor.

It was the Cintas debut of Isaiah Philmore, who transfered to Xavier from Towson University.  Philmore had to sit last season and the first three games of the current campaign.  Still the young Musketeers had momentum and confidence with a 6-1 record.

Xavier lost two starting guards - it's seven-foot center and it's leading returning scorer.  Two graduated. One transfered.  One was expelled.

Semaj Christon has picked up the slack.  One long time Xavier observer insists that he is the most poised freshman to play for the Musketeers in 27 years.  His play at Purdue underscores the observation.

The Musketeers put four players in double figures while building a 13-point lead in the second half.  The lone senior Travis Taylor led them with 15 points.  Justin Martin had 13.  Christon had 12 to compliment five assists and Philmore scored 11 while leading Xavier with 10 rebounds.


The game turned on a scoring drought that caused the young team to go into the tank on the defensive end.

"We talked about that after the game," Xavier coach Chris Mack said.  "It's easy to put you hands on the floor and get into a defensive stance when you've made some shots and feel good about yourself.  We have to not allow bad offense to affect our defense."

Vanderbilt, with nothing to lose, chipped away at the lead.

Kyle Fuller is still competing for playing time after a sophomore season in which he averaged less than a point per game in 18 outings.

Fuller scored a game-high 25 points.  He scored all 12 of the Commodores points in overtime, including the key shot of the game, a three-point shot that put his squad in the lead with 2:11 left in the extra period.

He followed with a layup and three free throws that allowed Vanderbilt to hold off the Musketeers.

"I knew Kendren (Johnson) was going to make a play because he always
does but it was a point in the game, when my man had to help," Fuller said. "I got
the ball and knew I had to step up. Once I made the shot. We looked
at each other and told each other that we could do this. It gave me
confidence the rest of the game."

"It was a huge win for us. We've been struggling. We're a young team
and we have to learn how to win. It is a growing point for us."

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