By: Nick McGill
Xavier fans got a taste of what the Musketeers are capable of this year after a dominating 84-54 win over the Quincy Hawks on Saturday.
The men’s basketball team opened up its 2013-14 campaign with an exhibition match at home against Quincy (Ill.).
Fans filed into Cintas Center to get their first glimpse of the home team that has much potential.
Quincy overpowered the Musketeers in the opening minutes to gain an early 17-7 lead.
Xavier soon responded with a demanding 18-0 run led by sophomore guard Semaj Christon and senior guard Landen Amos.
After struggling to score early on, Xavier finished the first half shooting 51.7 percent (15-of-29) from the field while attaining a 40-30 lead at the midway point. Xavier showed no signs of letting up in the second half, extending its 10 point lead and ultimately to 30 points when the final buzzer sounded.
The Musketeers upped their field goal percentage to 56.9 percent but struggled from the 3-point line. XU made four of 17 3-point attempts, three of which came well-timed from the hands of freshman guard Myles Davis in the first half.
Despite the poor 3-point shooting performance, the Musketeers’ offense went hand-in-hand with their efficient defense.
They held the Hawks to 30.4 percent shooting from the field while forcing 15 turnovers that led to 17 Xavier points.
Top performers for the Muskies included Christon, Davis and junior center Matt Stainbrook.
Stainbrook tallied seven buckets for 14 points to go along with nine rebounds, while Christon led the team on the court and recorded 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Davis took advantage of his time on the floor, leading the team with 15 points in only 20 minutes on the hardwood.
Xavier had four players score in double digits as an impressive offensive attack tallied 84 points, 50 of which were in the paint.
As the regular season looms, the Musketeers proved that they are capable of putting points on the board and causing problems for the opponents’ offense.
Although there are many things that Xavier needs to improve upon, fans should be excited to see what their team will execute in the upcoming games.
The regular season will officially tip off at 7 p.m. on Friday as the Musketeers face the Bulldogs from Gardener-Webb at Cintas Center.