The Xavier Musketeers are 2-0 on the year, thanks to the heroics of freshman Dwon Odom.
The game wasn’t aesthetically pleasing by any means, but the Musketeers got it done anyway. They defeated the upset-minded Bradley Braves, 51-50, thanks to a last second layup by the youngster Odom.
Things did get dicey at the end, though. Terry Nolan Jr. went to the line with almost no time remaining to shoot a one and one. However, the front end of Nolan Jr.’s one and one missed, leading to the end of the game and more importantly, a win for the Musketeers.
After a spirited offensive performance on Wednesday, the Musketeers were rather stymied on Turkey Day. They finished the game with an ugly mark of 34 percent from the floor, 25 percent from deep and 50 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents didn’t fare much better, as Bradley shot 33 percent from the field, 38 percent from long range and 33 percent from the FT line. This is one of those games where someone was going to win ugly, and in the end, the good guys got it done in this one.
Zach Freemantle and Paul Scruggs both got into double figures in the win. The two combined for 36 points on the day, 19 and 17 respectively. While they were inefficient, shooting a combined 14-for-32, they were still able to put up much-needed points on an otherwise starved day. Freemantle added seven rebounds to his cause, while Scruggs dished out seven assists.
Odom, the hero of the day, scored just four points. But his two at the end came up the largest. His four points were tied for the third-most on the day alongside KyKy Tandy.
Xavier is currently slated to face the Toledo Rockets on Friday.