NEW YORK – Xavier’s men’s basketball team collapsed in devastating fashion on Wednesday night in an overtime loss to Butler, 89-82, in the first round of the Big East Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Xavier led Butler 66-60 with 52 seconds left in regulation.
That’s when the plane that was flying comfortably to the finish line for what would have been a season-extending win, crashed in a way the Musketeers will remember for a long time.
“A gut-wrenching loss for us,” said Xavier head coach Travis Steele, who’s watched gut-wrenching losses in the first round of the Big East Tournament for three years in a row. “I thought we were the better team for 39 minutes. But unfortunately, we weren’t able to close the game at the very end.”
Butler’s Chuck Harris, a thorn in Xavier’s side all night, made it a 66-62 game on a tough shot in the paint with 43 seconds left. Harris was fouled on the shot and missed a free throw to make it a 3-point play.
Xavier grabbed the rebound and called timeout. When the Musketeers inbounded the ball out of the timeout, Butler fouled fifth-year senior point guard Paul Scruggs right away.
Scruggs went to the line with his team ahead 66-62 – 40 seconds left – and missed both free throws. The second miss shot pretty hard off the rim into the hands of Colby Jones for an offensive rebound. Butler immediately fouled Jones, who followed Scruggs to the line and proceeded to miss both his free throws with 38 seconds left.
Out of a Butler timeout, Scruggs fouled a driving Harris, who went to the line and made both free throws, cutting Xavier’s lead to 66-64 with 29 seconds left.
As Xavier was attempting to inbound the ball, Scruggs was called for an offensive foul, trying to create some separation on Butler’s Aaron Thompson.
Harris took the extra possession and tied the game, 66-66, with a layup that left 24 seconds on the clock.
With the game on the line, Xavier went to Scruggs, who ran the clock low, drove it left, then flew across the lane and finished off a circus shot that also resulted in a foul on the play.
Scruggs went to the line, a chance at a 3-point play with eight seconds left and missed the free throw.
Butler’s Simas Lukosius grabbed the rebound and immediately raced down the court, his team trailing 68-66.
That’s when Scruggs reached in and fouled Lukosius with four seconds left, sending him to the free-throw line, where he made both and tied the game, forcing overtime.
“If we’re up by three, we’re supposed to be in what we call ‘smack,’ which is a foul around half court, so the team can’t get a 3 off,” said Steele. “But Paul, I don’t know if he got confused with the score. We were only up by two. He missed the free throw … and he fouled obviously. And they knocked in both free throws. You’re not supposed to foul when you’re up by two.”
The Musketeers went 0-for-5 at the foul line in the final 40 seconds of regulation and finished 13-for-29 on free throws in the game.
“We’ve got to make our free throws,” said Steele. “I don’t know what happened tonight, unfortunately, in our free throws, but obviously it was a big reason why we lost.”
Scruggs’ foul at the end of regulation was his fifth, ending his night.
Once in overtime, Xavier didn’t have anything resembling an answer for Lukosius, who scored 12 of his 27 points in the extra frame.
It’s the third straight season Xavier’s been on the NCAA Tournament bubble and lost in the first round of the conference tournament. It’s the second year in a row Xavier’s lost to Butler in overtime with its season on the line.
“I wish it was up to us, I wish we were still playing,” said Steele. “It is what it is. Now it’s in the hands of other people. When you don’t control your own destiny, I mean, you’re nervous constantly. Puts a pit in your stomach.
“… I’m hopeful we’ll be in it because I think we’re a team that can advance and really do some damage in the NCAA Tournament.”
Xavier lost eight of its final 10 games. The Musketeers are 18-13 overall. The next four days will be a long wait until Selection Sunday.
