Rushed Reactions: #11 Xavier 76, #6 Maryland 65
Posted by Walker Carey on March 16th, 2017RTC will be providing coverage of the NCAA Tournament from start to finish. Walker Carey (@walkerRcarey) is in Orlando this weekend.
Three Key Takeaways.
Xavier Looked Like the Better Team All Day Today (USA Today Images)
- A hot Trevon Bluiett is nearly unstoppable. There are some players who just need to see the ball go in the net once for their games to completely turn on a dime. That situation happened with Xavier junior forward Trevon Bluiett in tonight’s victory, as he was able to shake off a poor first half (just three points on 1-of-8 shooting) and completely dominate the second stanza in his team’s favor. Bluiett scored 18 of his game-high 21 points after the break, reaching a point where everyone in the gym knew anything he shot was likely going in. Bluiett’s second half tear carried over from his performance at last week’s Big East Tournament when he scored 44 of his 58 points after halftime. Xavier will undoubtedly take Bluiett warming up after halftime if it means more victories, but the Musketeers have to wonder what it would mean if Bluiett was hot for an entire game.
- Sean O’Mara came off the bench to provide Xavier a consistent post presence. It would make sense if Sean O’Mara had not been a key component of Maryland’s incoming scouting report. The junior big man entered today’s contest averaging a modest 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game, as Xavier is far better known for its perimeter attack than its interior play. You better believe Maryland knows a lot about O’Mara now after he turned in a career-best performance in the 11-point victory. O’Mara finished the game with 18 points (5-of-6 FG and 8-of-9 FT) and seven rebounds. The Terps had no answer for his work in the post, as big man Damonte Dodd struggled all evening and was exploited by the far more athletic O’Mara.
- Maryland was overseeded. It is easy in hindsight to point to problems with how certain teams were seeded, but anyone who watched today’s game will tell you that Maryland was not worthy of a #6 seed. The Terrapins were disjointed for much of the game on both ends of the court, and it often appeared that they were just waiting around for junior guard Melo Trimble to make a play. This was a questionable strategy because Trimble struggled all night, finishing with 13 points on just 5-of-15 shooting. The bracket cannot be changed in retrospect, but you have to think the NCAA Tournament may have been a little better if the Terrapins were actually placed where they belonged.
Player of the Game. Trevon Bluiett, Xavier. The game changed for the Musketeers when Bluiett got going in the second half. The junior Indianapolis native finished the game with 21 points (7-of-15 FG and 5-of-10 3FG) and made his presence felt on the defensive end by nabbing three steals. Bluiett was the best player on the floor throughout the second 20 minutes and Xavier’s win would not have been possible without him coming alive.
Quotable.
- “Sean [O’Mara] played the best game he has ever played in a Xavier uniform. He was phenomenal tonight.” – Xavier coach Chris Mack, commenting on junior forward O’Mara’s effort on the low block.
- “The first half felt a little sped up. I was probably too excited out there.” – Bluiett, attributing his poor first half to NCAA Tournament jitters.
- “I thought the better team won tonight. The team that played better and earned it more.” – Maryland coach Mark Turgeon, not exactly hiding his disdain over his team’s performance.
Sights and Sounds. It is not a Xavier postseason game unless Bill Murray is in the crowd, right? The father of Xavier assistant Luke Murray was seated in the front row right across from the Musketeers’ bench today. It is fun to see the world-famous actor take in March Madness cheering for his son — it sure looks like no one enjoys these games as much as he does.
What’s Next. Xavier advances to the Second Round where it will play the winner of Florida State and Florida Gulf Coast.
