@ LMU - Saturday 2/11, 1:00pm, ROOT NW/SPEC SN, CSN CA

Game Time - 1:00pm - Gersten Pavilion
Video - TheW.tv, ROOT NW/SPEC SN, CSN CA
Radio - Sports 910
Stats - http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=139449

What I feel like this first half has shown me: When we're under pressure, what is an offense?

The opponent suckage vuju returned again as LMU only shooted 1/10 for most of the half, but then we had a really horrible turnover streak happen (it was like 3-4 consecutive in like one minute) and now LMU has a 6 point lead.

On a side note, we saw Hallinan in for the first time in ages.

Pilots look like they have never played this game before.

This season is going the Oregon State route somewhat.

Well, they handled the pressure better in the second half, and got it down to a one possession game, but crucial shots just not falling in. There was that play after cutting it to one possession where they left a LMU guy wide open for an easy 3 that had me like WTF.

I guess it's because we don't see him play that much, but I really enjoyed watching Hallinan. I feel he had this determined face like he was excited to play and was in it to win it regardless of the score or the losing streak. I thought he had some good small plays as well.

Random game notes:
- Jazz made it to double figures after going scoreless the 1st half; keeps his streak alive.
- Caused 21 LMU turnovers, but offset it with 30 (!) of their own. 30 TOs has to be some kind of record.
- 24 of 27 on FTs, although I recall Jazz missed the front end of a 1 and 1, so that's like another miss.
- Shot a better percentage than LMU, 43% to 38%, but LMU got off 21 more shots. Doug Christie advised it was better to chuck up a bad shot than turn it over. But it seemed most of the TOs were before they crossed half court.
- Any team that doesn't pressure the ball all game against us is a sign the coaches are not doing their job. It's how BYU pulled out a game they could have lost, and how LMU turned around a game they were going nowhere in when they were down 12 to 4 at 9-1/2 minutes in. They went steal - dunk, steal - 3Pt, steal - dunk, steal - layup. They got a 5th TO in a row, but they turned it over themselves, and then the Pilots actually got a shot off. 19 steals by LMU.
- Andre's line, no shots, 2 missed FTs, 2 assists and 4 turnovers. That got Xavier some playing time with a game on the line. Hope the coaches can instill some confidence in Andre, 'cause we really need a PG.
- Rashad continues to play very well, except when he has to handle the ball.
- Gabe had 12 RBs and Phil had 6. They outrebounded the Lions 35-26. Probably a result of so many more shots by the Lions.
- Phil got a good dunk, but only took one other shot. At least twice he got the ball in close and looked for a pass without ever looking to go back up.
- only 31% from 3Pt, 4 of 13, but some of those were desperation shots at the end. They had two good looks late that could have really put the pressure on LMU, but they rattled out, and the LMU guy got a wide open shot he buried to pretty much seal it. I couldn't see what happened to get so open, but D'Marques was trying to get there and was too late.

This game could have been such a mauling it might have been called the Christians vs. the Lions....but the Pilots avoided being completely devoured by the Lions when Xavier came to the rescue.

As a walk-on it has been Xavier's job to make Alec and Jazz better while making only the occasional cameo appearance when a game's outcome is already decided. But just like the Pilots over the past few weeks, he has never given up or hung his head in disappointment, and today's performance showed he's developed quite a bit of leadership in his two years on the Bluff.

He did not play without mistakes, but when he was in the game it was as if the "old veteran" had come in to calm the young guys so the team could stop the bleeding and make a comeback.  And having "X" in the game took a whole lot of pressure off of Jazz and made it possible for him to finally get some decent shots without having to fight off constant double-teams and traps.  

Xavier's scoring drives late in the game brought the Pilots within a shot of two of pulling out the victory, but maybe just as importantly, it rewarded Xavier for his hard work while giving him some confidence moving forward....and just maybe it will also give Coach Porter some confidence that he's got another point guard to call upon.  The life of a non-scholarship player is often a tough one, but "X" showed us today that hard work and perseverance can have its rewards.

Outcome of Pilots' possessions starting with 15:07 remaining in the first half and holding a 10-3 lead:

• Taylor turnover
• Hartwich turnover
• Taylor missed 3pt
• Barreno turnover
• Taylor missed layup
• Jackson missed jumper
• Barreno made layup
• Ferguson turnover
• Ferguson turnover
• Marshall turnover
• Tyson turnover
• Johnson turnover
• Marshall turnover (after Johnson missed layup)
• Marshall made two FTs
• Johnson missed front-end FT
• Jackson turnover
• Tyson made 3pt
• Taylor turnover
• Ferguson missed front-end FT
• Jackson made two FTs
• Ferguson turnover
• Tyson turnover
• Marshall turnover
• Jackson turnover
• Maker missed jumper (after Jackson missed layup)
• Maker made two FTs
• Tyson made two FTs
• Maker made 3pt
• End of half (after Hallinan missed 3pt)

In those 29 possessions: 15 turnovers, 10 FG attempts (3-10), 6 trips to the foul line (8-10).

After Barreno made a layup at 11:11, our next six consecutive possessions ended in turnovers.

Coach Cantu was entertaining as always in the post-game interview. Said that it's been apparent for a while in practice now that the team's best ball handler is a walk-on. Xavier had two huge buckets in that late run and I'm curious to see if he gets more playing time in the final few games of the year here.

If the Pilots can figure out their ball-handling issues under pressure and keep up the defensive disruption they've showed the last 3 times out, they're going to give themselves a shot in at least a couple of these next four games before Vegas.

Cantu had another comment I found interesting in the interview, but I'll go post that in the 2017 recruiting thread.

I received an email asking me to tell the sender a little more about Xavier Hallinan's basketball background....and as I really don't know that much, I simply referred them to my post on May 26 2015. (I believe the picture of "X" catching the winning touchdown pass to beat Jesuit is on his mother's desk at work).

DoubleDipper wrote:UP loses one Central Catholic point guard/football player and gains another.

With the graduation of David Carr, UP was momentarily without a Central Catholic point guard, but now Xavier Hallinan, 6-1/160, will join the Pilots as a walk-on this coming season. In his senior year Hallinan led the Rams to a 23-6 record and 4th place in the state tournament played in the Chiles Center in March.  

Walk-ons like David Ahern ahead of him generally don't have much chance of earning a scholarship, but instead find their role is to make their scholarship teammates better by going against them in practice every day. With only one scholarship available next year, it would seem Xavier's roll will be to make Alec a bit better each day.  On the other hand, remember it was walk-on David Ahern that was pressed into emergency duty to keep the ship afloat during his only year on the Bluff....

Xavier on the court and catching the winning pass against Jesuit last August: