Rochester Hills, Mich. – Senior guard Cedric Johnson (Bellevue, Neb./Sioux Falls/Nebraska-Kearney/Bellevue West) scored a game-high 28 points while shooting at a 68.8 percent clip (11-for-16) from the field, however the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 CCAC) fell to Rochester University (Mich.), 77-73, on day one of the Rochester Classic at Garth Pleasant Arena Friday afternoon in Rochester Hills, Mich. In 38 minutes on the court, Johnson also came away with eight rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal for the Cougars in their 2023-24 season opener.

• Junior forward Andre Brandon (Coralville, Iowa/Sauk Valley/Iowa City Liberty) made his SXU debut and tallied a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He made 8-of-14 shots (57.1 percent) with two assists and a steal in 37 minutes of action.
• Junior guard Sando Hill (Vanoss, Okla./Lyon/Seminole State/Vanoss) scored eight points in his Saint Xavier debut with a rebound and a steal.
• Redshirt freshman guard Mason Kibelkis (Peotone, Ill./Peotone) made his collegiate debut, scoring six points (2-for-6 from beyond the arc) with an assist, a blocked shot, a rebound and a steal.
• The first half was closely contested as neither team would hold more than a two-possession lead. Late in the half, Johnson pulled down a rebound and hit a pull-up three-pointer to give the Cougars a 30-28 lead at the 3:29 mark. He capped the 10-1 run with a lay-up two minutes later. SXU went into halftime holding a 39-35 advantage while shooting 46.7 percent (14-for-30) to the Warriors' 35.5 percent (11-for-31).
• Brandon was tough in the second half, scoring 13 of his 20 points and pulling down five rebounds. Hill gave Saint Xavier its largest lead, 45-35, after he knocked down a trey off an assist from Johnson in the opening minutes of the second half. Rochester would respond with a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to even the game at 47-47 with 15:36 remaining in regulation. The lead would change hands multiple times before Brandon scored in the point to re-tie the contest at 53-53. RU split a pair of free throws on their next possession to retain the lead with 11:04 left. The Warriors pushed their lead to 68-58 after a 14-5 run before SXU scored on three straight times down the court to cut the deficit to three after a Kibelkis three-pointer, 68-65, with 2:56 to go, but Rochester held on down the stretch.

Saint Xavier (0-1, 0-0 CCAC) wraps up play in the Rochester Classic when they face Cleary University (Mich.) on Saturday, November 4 in Rochester Hills, Mich. The game is scheduled for a 2:00 pm central tip-off.