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I would first like to offer my congrats to the Musketeers on a great finish and win. I tink by and large, the fouls were about even and I think by and large this game was even going in and the outcome proved that to be very true.
I think WVU played well enough to win, but youth did not serve us in overtime with Smith, a red-shirt freshman, leaving BJ wide open with a 2 second shot clock inbounds play. Smith is a good player and he will be a great player, his block was the reason the shot clock was at 2 seconds and the inbounds play was even being attempted, but it is the second time this year he has produced this kind of result (a 1 point loss to Pitt at Pitt when he left his man and a game winning trey was made with the game clock expiring).
Alexander fouling out was also a boon for the Musketeers, and Duncan not fouling out on a double foul on Wellington Smith when another Xavier player got the foul was also a key moment.
Shooting 1-11 from three point range, while also helping, did not keep WVU from winning the game. Some will point to the foul shots missed in OT as well, but the Musketeers missed more than we did in this gane from the foul line.
No, I prefer to give all of the credit to Xavier for making the critical shots in OT to pull out a gutsy win against a dangerous but young team. WVU will have more chances with Huggins at the helm, but there cannot be a disatisfied Mountaineer Basketball Fan this year for nobody expected this kind of season in Huggs first year without any of his recruits.
Sean Miller is a great young coach and I hope that Xavier can hang onto him, unlike Prosser, his predecessor and Sean's predecessor. I wish Xavier good luck in the upcoming elite 8 game and will be cheering for you against the Bruins. Prosser was my oldest son'e basketball coach at Wheeling Central Catholic, and we send alot of kids over to Xavier as students. So again, good game and good luck!
ACK
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