Xavier’s J.P. Macura eschews timeout, sinks game-clinching shot
Chris Mack is probably the nation’s happiest man that coaches can no longer call live-ball timeouts.
Had that rule change not been implemented before this season, the Xavier coach would have wiped out the 3-pointer that clinched his team’s 75-68 road win at No. 10 Providence.
After the Friars sliced a 16-point second-half deficit to three with just over one minute to play Tuesday night, Mack signaled for one of his players to call timeout. Point guard Edmond Sumner ignored Mack’s request and dished to reserve guard J.P. Macura, whose deep left-wing 3-pointer extended the seventh-ranked Musketeers’ lead to six with 63 seconds to go.
J.P. Macura #ONIONS for #7 @XavierMBB! #BIGEAST #XAVvsPC https://t.co/Li6MZMF6w5
— FS1 (@FS1) January 27, 2016
The long-range shot from Macura was a gutsy play considering there was 19 seconds left on the shot clock and he’s hardly a knock-down 3-point shooter. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is shooting 30.2 percent from behind the arc this season and had missed his only previous attempt Tuesday night.
Xavier’s road victory further solidifies the Musketeers as a contender for a top-two NCAA tournament seed and Villanova’s top challenger in the Big East.
The Musketeers (18-2, 6-2) are tied for second place in the Big East with Georgetown and just a game behind the first-place Wildcats. They own seven top 50 wins against the likes of Providence, Butler, Seton Hall, Dayton, USC, Cincinnati and Michigan. Their lone remaining game against Villanova comes at home in the Cintas Center.
The key to Xavier’s latest win was its depth and balance. Providence’s Kris Dunn and Ben Bentil were the two best players on the floor, but their combined 41 points was not enough to overcome the Musketeers’ multi-faceted attack.
Forwards Trevion Bluiett, Jalen Reynolds and James Farr combined for 41 points and consistently hurt the Friars on the offensive glass. Sumner struggled uncharacteristically against Dunn, but Myles Davis picked up the slack, scoring 13 points and dishing out seven assists.
Providence might have overcome that balanced attack had it been more successful attacking Xavier’s 1-3-1 zone defense. The Friars shot 7-for-34 from behind the 3-point arc and did not find enough scoring from anyone besides Bentil and Dunn.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
