Sports
By Clare McKinley, Campus News Editor
Over spring break, Xavier’s X-Treme Fans transported students from Cintas to New York City’s Madison Square Garden (MSG) for the annual men’s basketball Big East Tournament.
The students departed for New York City at midnight last Tuesday and were set to come back sometime Saturday, depending on how well Xavier did.
“The red-eye bus ride on the way there was brutal, but the bus ride on the way back was a bonding experience for sure,” junior psychology major Ella Maher said.
The quarterfinal matchup between the Xavier Musketeers and the Marquette University Golden Eagles was the second game of the day on Thursday with tipoff at 2:30 p.m. At the start of the game, the energy in MSG was high and the student section led by the X-Treme Fans was rearing and ready to go.
“The electricity in Madison Square Garden was unlike anything I had experienced before. I had never been to a game before in an environment like that. The experience was awesome, at least for the first half,” sophomore biomedical sciences major Olivia Kirk said.
Forward David Joplin of the Golden Eagles scored first, but sophomore guard Daylin Swain responded on the other end for the Musketeers. Shredded newspaper confetti flew in the air following Xavier’s first bucket, bringing a piece of Cintas Center tradition from the Midwest to the Big Apple.
Students had the opportunity to travel with X-Treme Fans to the Big East Tournament in New York City over spring break where they could watch the team play and explore the city.
The Musketeers got off to a strong start and finished the half up by 10. Unfortunately, like the newspaper thrown in the air, what goes up must come down. Midway through the third quarter, the Golden Eagles went on a 10-0 run to take the lead 63-62.
“For whatever reason on our end, for the first eight-to-10 minutes of the second half, we had a hard time getting our defense set,” head coach Sean Miller said in the press conference following the game. “Today we played at a very high level. Our defense left us at a really inopportune period of time, and Marquette made us pay.”
With the Musketeer’s momentum disrupted, they were never able to regain control of the game and were eliminated from the tournament with a two-point loss of 89-87.
Despite the loss, there were moments of high-level basketball played by the Musketeers that show promise for a run in the postseason. They shot 30 of 57 from the field, hit 11 three-pointers and had a standout performance from junior guard Ryan Conwell.
“Leaning on my coaches and my teammates and what they were telling me, you know through film… and me just trusting in my work and listening to them allowed that to translate to this game,” Conwell said about his career-high 38 points.
With Xavier’s chances for a Big East championship title over, the students on the trip had the rest of the time to explore New York City.
“It was my first time in New York City, so I took advantage of the free day to do and see all of the sights I wanted,” junior nursing major Claire Schnurr said. “I even got the classic New York bagel and hotdog from a cart in the street.”
The X-Treme Fans and the Xavier Athletic Department host this trip every year with the goal of bringing as many students as possible to New York City to transform MSG into a home court arena.
“I think it is awesome that Xavier has experiences like this trip, especially for students who might not be able to get to New York on their own or do not have anyone to go with,” junior biomedical sciences major and X-Treme Fans board member Justin Groskopf said.
The Musketeers still earned a spot in the big dance and will face off against the Texas Longhorns tonight at 9:10 p.m. to secure their spot in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.
