CHICAGO – Coming out of a timeout with 2.8 second left in regulation, senior guard Cedric Johnson (Bellevue, Neb./Sioux Falls/Nebraska-Kearney/Bellevue West) drove the lane and hit the game-tying basket while drawing a foul leaving just 0.3 second left on the clock. After another timeout, Johnson sank the foul shot and the ensuing in-bounds pass was deflected away to give Saint Xavier University men's basketball (12-6, 7-3 CCAC) a thrilling 76-75 upset victory over No. 22 Olivet Nazarene University in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action Saturday afternoon on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. The win snaps a 10-game losing streak to the Tigers, the first victory for SXU over ONU since a 98-79 final exactly six years to the day, January 20, 2018, in Bourbonnais, Ill. It was also the first win for Saint Xavier over Olivet Nazarene at the Shannon Center since November 10, 2012, a 90-79 triumph.

The Cougars led 62-53 with 7:29 remaining before the Tigers went on a 13-2 run over the next five minutes to go up 66-64 at the 2:33 mark. ONU looked to have put the game away after an offensive rebound and a tip-in bucket with :26 left to carry a 72-68 advantage. Freshman forward Marko Tojagic (Belgrade, Serbia/Saint Andrews) knocked down a three-pointer on the next possession, allowing head coach Robert Ford to draw up a defensive plan. Both teams traded foul shots before Olivet Nazarene split a pair of free throw attempts with six second left setting up the last second dramatic finish.

• Johnson led SXU with 26 points and was 11-for-13 from the charity stripe. He also had a team-best seven rebounds, two assists and a steal while playing all 40 minutes.
• Freshman forward James Stevenson (Sun River Terrace, Ill./Momence) established a new career-high in points after he made 9-of-11 shots, finishing with 22 points. He added five rebounds and tied his career-high in steals (three) and blocks (two).
• junior forward Andre Brandon (Coralville, Iowa/Sauk Valley/Liberty) tallied 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting, along with five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
• Tojagic posted nine points and was 3-for-4 from the field. He added three rebounds and a blocked shot in 19 minutes off the bench.
• Freshman guard Jordan Streeter (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) scored six points and grabbed a pair of rebounds.

Saint Xavier (12-6, 7-3 CCAC) makes its way to Elgin, Ill. to take on Judson University (Ill.) in a CCAC contest on Wednesday, January 24. The game is slated for a 7:30 pm tipoff.