By Dylan Paulson, Staff Writer
While there was no official preseason to men’s basketball this year, Xavier participated in an exhibition charity match against their old rivals to the northeast at the University of Dayton. The game was a part of a greater project called The Spotlight, an event that spans the course of multiple days through various events to raise awareness for mental health issues in young adults.
This was the first time the two schools have played each other since the Musketeers defeated the Flyers 90-61 in 2015 in their days as bitter rivals in the Atlantic 10. While it was a charity game and will not go on either team’s official record, Xavier earned a commanding 98-74 win with their squad of new faces.
The game included several pauses to award donations to three different mental health foundations. All net proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Jay’s Light and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation among other charities within the Dayton and Cincinnati footprint. This is the second year in a row that the Flyers have hosted the event in an effort to not only bolster the mental health charities and institutions around them, but also to break the stigma surrounding those struggling with mental health issues in their day-to-day lives.
The Musketeers faced off against the University of Dayton Flyers on Oct. 20, earning the 98-74 win. Eight
different players scored 10 or more points during the game, though fouls troubled them in the second half.
Struggling in the first half with turnovers, Xavier was able to stay in the game early and ultimately take the lead at the half thanks to their impressive three-point shooting. By the second half, the Musketeers were able to build off their 46-28 halftime lead, and they ended the game with eight different players having scored in double digits.
Zach Freemantle, who played his first game for Xavier in almost two years, tied with Marcus Foster as the team leaders in scoring, putting up 15 points. They were followed close behind by Dante Maddox Jr. and Trey Green, who each had 12 points to their names. Behind them came Davyion McKnight and Ryan Cowell with 11 points apiece, then Jerome Hunter and Dailyn Swain, each with 10 points.
Xavier’s biggest struggle came not from their shooting, where they were roughly 59% and 12-26 from three, but from fouling. They had only six fouls in the first half, but picked up 16 in the second half.Those 16 fouls in the second half allowed the Flyers to shoot 22 free throws, 17 of which they hit.
Despite their foul trouble and Dayton’s ability to find short hot streaks in the second half, the Musketeers pulled off the win.
After a tough season last year, where the Muskies were plagued by injuries and with many questions circulating about how the team would rebound, the game gave hope to the team and fans alike for the upcoming season.
Xavier looks to its first regular season challenge against Texas Southern University tonight at 7:30 p.m., where they hope to get off to a hot start with a win.