Boxscore
Cincinnati, Ohio - Brad Redford's pair of free throws with 37 seconds remaining helped lift Xavier to a 61-59 victory over the Robert Morris University men's basketball team Saturday afternoon at the Cintas Center.
The Colonials had three opportunities in the final 15 seconds for either the game-winning or game-tying shot but came up short each time.
Junior Karvel Anderson's (Elkhart, Ind. / Glen Oaks Community College) three-pointer with 12 seconds left fell short, and after a scramble for the rebound, RMU retained possession thanks to a jump ball.
Redshirt senior guard Velton Jones (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) followed by missing a jumper in the lane, and a desperation three-point attempt at the buzzer from redshirt junior guard Coron Williams (Midlothian, Va. / Christchurch School) fell short as time expired.
Robert Morris trailed, 43-35, early in the second half after a dunk from Jeff Robinson of Xavier, but the Colonials never went away, closing it to a one-possession game seven times in the final 14:36 of action, including a pair of ties.
Robinson would give the Musketeers a 53-47 edge at the 8:19 mark of the second half by hitting the front end of a pair of free-throw attempts, but five straight points from Anderson, including a three-pointer, helped close the Colonials to within one, 53-52, with 7:34 to go.
Semaj Christon would follow with four straight points to give Xavier a 57-52 cushion, but a three-pointer from Jones and a jumper by Anderson knotted the game, 57-57, with 3:49 remaining.
Again the Musketeers would jump in front, 59-57, as Dee Davis fed Robinson for a jumper, but Jones answered with his own jumper to tie the score for the sixth time on the game, 59-59, with just 1:51 to play.
Each team had opportunities to take the lead before Redford drew contact by sophomore forward Lucky Jones (Newark, N.J. / St. Anthony) to send him to the charity stripe for the game-winning free throws. The points proved to be the only contribution on the evening from the Xavier bench.
In a game that featured eight lead changes, both teams started off hot shooting, trading the advantage seven times in the opening seven and-a-half minutes. The Musketeers hit eight of their first 10 shots from the field, while RMU connected on five three-pointers, including a trio from Williams.
Anderson would give the Colonials a 19-17 edge with a three-pointer with 12:31 left before the break, but a 9-0 run would allow Xavier to open up a 26-19 advantage.
Robert Morris would close to within one, 32-31, with under a minute and-a-half to play in the first half, but four straight points from Davis, including a three-pointer with one second left on the first-half clock, gave the Musketeers a 36-31 edge at intermission.
Anderson led the Colonials with a career-high 17 points, hitting seven of his 13 shots from the field. Velton Jones added 15 points and six assists, while Williams added nine points.
Martin led Xavier with 17 points, while Davis scored 15 points and Christon 12.
RMU now returns home to the Charles L. Sewall Center for the consolation round of the 2012 NIT Season Tip-Off. The Colonials will host Bowling Green Monday, Nov. 19, and will also welcome Cleveland State Tuesday, Nov. 20. Both tip times are 7:30 p.m.
