Two things, in particular, propelled Xavier's men's basketball team to an overtime win against Providence on Wednesday.
The Musketeers played with a winning level of toughness and they took care of the basketball, committing only five turnovers in 45 minutes.
Those two areas need to be there again on Saturday when St. John's visits the Cintas Center.
Xavier (18-5, 10-2) is tied for first place in the Big East Conference with Marquette.
In order to win a conference championship, Saturday's a game the Musketeers need to win. It's essential to protect home court u2012 something Xavier's done well this season in Big East play (6-0) u2012 and not give away any games against teams in the bottom tier of the league.