By Ryan Ottiger, Staff Writer
In their first exhibition game of the season, Xavier shined with a win against the University of Dayton at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The outdoor venue did not seem to affect the Musketeers, coming away with an 82-76 win. Despite the sun and wind, the team managed to shoot a very solid 50% from the field and an impressive 45% on 3-pointers. They did this without forwards Rolyns Aligbe and Asher Elson, who are dealing with injuries.
Mike Nwoko finished the game with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two steals, converting on 11 of his 13 free throws. Nwoko manned the interior all game, scoring all of his baskets around the rim.
Sharpshooter Ruben Dominguez also had an excellent game, going 4-for-6 from 3-point range and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line, finishing the game with an efficient 15 points. His 3-point shots came in timely areas throughout the game, making his first few to give Xavier a big early lead and making his last late in the second half when Xavier needed a basket.
Jovan Milicevic picked up where he left off last season scoring 13 points, dishing out three assists and grabbing three rebounds. He finished 5-for-10 from the field.
Tru Washington was the fourth Musketeer to finish scoring in double figures, with 14 points as well as two assists, two rebounds and two steals.
Point guard Chance Westry had a slower start in this first exhibition game with six points and four assists, but that is likely to change going forward given his strong production at the University of Alabama at Birmingham last year.
Pitino and Dominguez in the post game pressor.
“I really believe Chance has the ability to be one of the best point guards in the country. I thought fatigue got him a little bit, but he’s too important to us,” Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said. “I don’t think he played very well tonight, and he’s a key piece to what we’re trying to do. So I think he knows that, and it was good for him.”
Off the bench, Nikos Chitikoudis scored six points in 11 minutes played, with Gabriel Pozzato scoring five points himself. Pozzato also had a baseline drive that resulted in a dunk that gave energy to the team.
Even in the win, the game still came with some sloppiness, which is to be expected in the first exhibition of the year. Nwoko and Westry combined for a staggering 16 fouls, with Nwoko having nine and Westry having seven.
“Foul trouble has always been an issue with Mike, and you can tell when he’s on the court and he’s not in foul trouble … he’s one of the best bigs in the country … he’s too good of a player to not be a key guy at that spot for us,” Pitino said.
Overall, coming away with a win against an in-state rival at an outdoor venue in the first exhibition game is a success for the Musketeers looking ahead.