Box Score Game box (pdf)
CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Wofford men’s basketball team hit key free throws in the final minutes of the game to take a 56-55 win over Xavier on Saturday afternoon at the Cintas Center. The game was tied with only eight seconds left, but Lee Skinner hit a free throw and the Musketeers were called for a charge on the final possession to give the Terriers the victory.
Wofford moves to 6-6 on the season, while Xavier is 7-4. The Terriers were led by Karl Cochran with 20 points, while Spencer Collins added 17 points, including 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Lee Skinner had eight rebounds and seven points. The Musketeers were led by Travis Taylor with 20 points and eleven rebounds, while Semaj Christon had ten points.
“That was pretty wild but all of these non-conference games prepare us for the Southern Conference in January and February,” said head coach Mike Young. “It was unbelievable for a freshman in Spencer Collins to go to the line and make two late in the game under that kind of pressure. The team defense was pretty good tonight. A win in this facility, where they do not lose very often, against one of the elite programs in college basketball is huge. All the credit in the world goes to our team to follow a plan to perfection and make enough plays to win it.”
The Musketeers scored first, but back-to-back threes by Spencer Collins and Karl Cochran gave the Terriers a 6-2 lead two minutes into the game. Xavier answered with six straight points, but Wofford regained the lead on a bucket and free throw by Indiana Faithfull for a 9-8 score at the 15:29 mark.
Xavier used a 10-0 run to take an 18-9 lead at the ten minute mark of the first half. Karl Cochran ended the run with a jumper, then cut the lead to 21-14 with a three pointer with eight minutes left on the clock. Two free throws by Spencer Collins made it a five point game, but the Musketeers had a 9-0 run for a 30-16 lead before a lay-up by Spencer Collins ended the run at the 3:52 mark. Collins and Karl Cochran added jumpers to cut the lead to 30-20 with ninety seconds remaining. At the half, Xavier had a 34-22 lead.
To open the second half, Aerris Smith scored on a lay-up. After a Lee Skinner lay-up, the Terriers had cut the lead to 36-28 with 16:39 on the clock. Karl Cochran was fouled on a three pointer and hit all three free throws to make it a 36-31 score. A three by Karl Cochran made it a two-point game at 36-34, then a three by Spencer Collins with 14:00 on the clock cut the lead to 40-37. Taylor Wagener added a three which tied the game at 40.
Wagener hit two-of-three free throws to tie the game at 42 with 11:30 left in the second half. After neither team scored for over five minutes, the Terriers tied the score at 44 with a lay-up by Lee Skinner. With 3:21 remaining, the Musketeers had a 47-46 lead. A three pointer by Spencer Collins from the wing gave the Terriers a 49-47 advantage with three minutes left.
Karl Cochran hit a jumper from the free throw line to give Wofford a 51-47 lead with just 1:37 remaining. The Musketeers cut it to a two-point lead, Spencer Collins hit two free throws. Xavier answered with a three pointer for a 53-52 score with 13.1 seconds on the clock. Lee Skinner hit both free throws in a one-and-one situation to take a 55-52 lead with eleven seconds left. Xavier’s Brad Redford hit another three with six seconds left to tie the game at 55. Lee Skinner hit one of two free throws for a one-point lead. The Musketeers drove the ball down the floor, but Semaj Christon was called for a foul, with Spencer Collins taking the charge for the Terriers with two seconds left. Wofford got the ball inbounds and the final horn sounded in the 56-55 victory.
Wofford shot a 36.2% from the floor while Xavier shot 47.8% overall. The Terriers were 7-of-17 from with three, while the Musketeers were 3-of-11 from behind the arc. Wofford was 15-of-17 from the free throw line, while Xavier was 8-of-16 from the line. The Musketeers had a 32 to 29 lead on the glass. Each team had 13 turnovers.
The Musketeers wore white and green uniforms with “Sandy Hook” on the front in memory of the victims in Newtown, Connecticut. The loss was only the 12th all-time to a non-conference opponent at the Cintas Center, with Xavier holding an 81-12 record since the 2000-01 season. Xavier has been to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen four of the last five years and to the NCAA in eleven of the last twelve seasons.
Wofford will take a break for the Christmas holiday before returning to action on Sunday, December 30 at the University of Virginia. The game will tip at 1:00 p.m. and check local television listings for availability.
