PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island — For everyone that had Xavier basketball running the table en route to the 2018 NCAA national championship, part of your forecast was debunked in America's frozen northeast corridor.
The Musketeers saw their 10-game winning streak snapped in a disappointing showing Saturday during an 81-72 loss to the Providence College Friars.
In sum, the game was always there for Xavier to take but the Musketeers weren't wholly present on the day. A death-spiral combination of unnecessary turnovers and forced shots, and some curious absences from the team's best players, made it a day to forget.