One weakness that has afflicted Saint Louis in recent years has been an inability to close games out.
In late game situations, if the Billikens needed to close out a game, either by holding on to the ball or making free throws, they had a hard time doing it. If they had the ball on a final possession with a chance to win or tie, not only would they not make the shot, a lot of times they wouldn't even get it off. In 2010-11, SLU was 1-5 in games decided by four points or less.
That is what made SLU's 73-68 win over Xavier in Cincinnati on Wednesday so promising. In snapping Xavier's 43-game home conference winning streak, a streak that extended to 2006, SLU won by doing all the right things down the stretch, particularly hitting free throws. SLU made its last nine free throws and 13 of its last 14.
Earlier in the half, when SLU saw Xavier whittle its 14-point lead to nothing in 6 1/2 minutes and could hear and feel the crowd going crazy, the Billikens responded by running off eight straight points to regain control of the game.
"I think it's our leadership," junior guard Kwamain Mitchell. "Kyle (Cassity), Brian (Conklin) and me, at halftime, we told our guys, 'They'll have a run, and when they have that run, we have to keep our composure and hit right back,' and we did. We kept competing, that's what got us the win."
One big factor is experience. Last year, with Mitchell out, in late-game situations SLU had the ball in the hands of freshman point guard Mike McCall Jr. This year, everyone on the team has more experience and the player handling the ball is an accomplished ball handler.
The Xavier game was the first time SLU had held on to a win this season, but the ability to do it on the league's toughest court bodes well for the Billikens, who at 16-4, 4-2, are back in the thick of the league race.
. is getting more and more responsibility. He had the responsibility of guarding Xavier wiz Tu Holloway much of Wednesday's game, and while Holloway finished with 22 points, he was just 4-of-11 from the field. Meanwhile, McCall had three assists and two steals and his 28 minutes marked the third straight game he's had at least that many coming off the bench.
Kwamain Mitchell has his shooting touch back and, against Xavier, he had his ballhandling skills as well. Mitchell had seven assists and just one turnover against Xavier, his second-best assist-to-turnover mark this season. Against Xavier, SLU had assists on 18 on its 22 field goals.
