Less than two months ago, Xavier’s men’s basketball team trailed Wake Forest by 18 points and rallied for a thrilling victory on the road.
The first part of that scenario was déjà vu for the No. 5 Musketeers late Tuesday, as they trailed Creighton by the same margin at the CenturyLink Center Omaha. This time, Xavier never found a way to vault ahead and the Bluejays clinched a 70-56 victory.
So what was the difference? In a word, defense. The Musketeers’ man-to-man coverage kicked into high gear at Wake, paving the way for a 15-2 second-half run and eventually the lead.