Down by 11 points at the start of the second half, Terrell ''Tu'' Holloway knew it was time to start making a difference.
Holloway scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half Friday night, hitting all but one of his shots while rallying the depleted Musketeers to a 68-65 victory over Western Michigan that showed what one determined point guard can do when the pressure's on.
''Sometimes the game gets a little hard and you lose consciousness and want to go out and make plays,'' said Holloway, who was 6 of 7 from the field in the second half. ''That's all it was in the second half. We needed to make a lot of plays, and I felt I was the guy to do it.''
Nobody does it better for Xavier (1-0), which trailed most of the game with its depleted front line in foul trouble and its freshmen trying to fit in. Holloway changed the momentum, scoring 10 points during a 15-2 run that got the Musketeers back in the game.
His 3-pointer from the right corner put them ahead to stay 64-61 with 1:14 to go.
''The bigger the moment, the bigger Tu plays,'' coach Chris Mack said. ''In the second half, he was really clutch.''
The Musketeers extended the nation's third-longest home-court winning streak to 25 games. Xavier has won its last 21 season openers, though this one was a real struggle.
Flenard Whitfield scored 15 for Western Michigan (0-1), which won 18 games last season and has only one senior. Whitfield's 3-pointer from the top of the key fell off the rim at the buzzer.
For the first time in six years, the Broncos started a true freshman center. Six-foot-9, 290-pound Matt Stainbrook had his way for a time against Xavier's depleted and inexperienced front line, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds. The Broncos had no answer for Holloway.
''That showed what a good player can do at that time of the game,'' Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins said. ''He took it over. He was very aggressive.''
Xavier's lack of depth showed. The Musketeers' reserves failed to score.
''It's painfully obvious at this point that we need more bench production,'' Mack said. ''Whether it was the first-game jitters, the speed of the game, whatever, that has to be put behind us.''
Three-point leader Brad Redford tore up a knee during practice, and Jamel McLean - the top returning rebounder and front-line scorer - broke a bone below his left eye during an exhibition. McLean warmed up before the game, wearing protective glasses, then sat on the bench and watched Xavier's front line get dominated.
Western Michigan led 32-23 at halftime, controlling the boards 23-12 and allowing Xavier only one offensive rebound. Mack screamed so loud in the locker room at halftime that his voice carried down the hall.
''We all felt a little pressure,'' said Holloway, who missed five of his six shots in the first half.
The Musketeers opened the second half with Holloway's turnover, and Stainbrook's bank shot gave Western Michigan its biggest lead at 34-23.
Seven-foot junior center Kenny Frease picked up his third foul with 15:05 left, leaving it up to Holloway to lead the comeback. He hit a driving bank shot and a fall-away jumper that cut it to 40-38 with 11:58 to go.
Frease got back in the game and quickly picked up a technical - his fourth foul - while mixing it up with Stainbrook. Stainbrook had a putback, and Whitfield's jumper rebuilt the lead to 49-42.
Holloway then took the game into his hands, hitting driving lay-ins, free throws and a pair of 3-pointers that gave Xavier to a 57-51 lead with 4:14 to go.
