Gary, Ind. – Senior forward Andre Brandon (Coralville, Iowa/Sauk Valley/Liberty) scored a season-high 21 points, junior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community) finished with a season-best 20 points and fifth-year senior guard Julian Barr (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Land/Lincoln-Way East) hit the game-winning three with just five seconds left to help lead Saint Xavier University men's basketball (8-3, 4-1 CCAC) to a 95-93 victory over Indiana University Northwest in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) action Saturday afternoon at the Savannah Center in Gary, Ind. Brandon was 6-for-12 from the field and he went 6-for-8 from the foul line in his second 20-point game of the season, along with six rebounds. Lawrence shot 7-for-12 and was 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, adding four rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks in 19 minutes off the bench. Barr finished with 11 points and two rebounds.

The Cougars took the early advantage, leading 13-6 just over five minutes into the contest. IUN responded with an 11-2 run to go up 17-15 after a pair of free throws at the 10:54 mark. A three-pointer with 6:59 left in the half put the RedHawks on top 30-25, however SXU closed out the half on a 27-10 run. Saint Xavier shot 48.7 percent (19-for-39) in the first 20 minutes, and they shot at a 50.0 percent clip (10-for-20) from three-point range. Brandon netted 10 points, while Lawrence tallied nine in the opening half. Junior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) sank all three of his three-point attempts, scoring nine of his 11 points in the frame.

The momentum carried over to the second half as the Cougars built their largest lead of the game, 62-46, after Lawrence converted an 'And-One' with 16:56 remaining. Indiana Northwest rallied back over the next five minutes, using a 22-4 run to take a 68-66 lead with 11:21 left, and they would go up by eight, 75-67, on a jumper at the 9:30 mark. SXU trailed until the final minute of regulation. Brandon hauled in a rebound and he cut the deficit to one, 93-92, with a basket with :35 left, and head coach Robert Ford quickly called a timeout. After a change of possession, Barr drained the game-winning trey and coming out of the timeout, the Saint Xavier defense forced another turnover to secure the road win.

• Atwater also had three rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot.
• Senior forward Kevin Bishop (Cleveland, Ohio/Pikeville/Parkland/Cleveland Benedictine) came away with a team-leading 10 rebounds. He added seven points and a season-high three assists.
• Junior guard Mekhi Wilson (Covington, Ky./Iowa Central/Covington Catholic) recorded eight points, a season-best three steals, and a rebound.
• Senior guard Sando Hill (Vanoss, Okla./Lyon/Seminole State/Vanoss) collected a season-high eight rebounds, along with seven points, three assists and a pair of steals.
• Sophomore forward Marko Tojagic (Belgrade, Serbia/Saint Andrews) added six points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal.
• Senior guard Jordan Jackson (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northwood/Wilmington/East Kentwood) chipped in four points, three assists and a rebound.

Saint Xavier (8-3, 4-1 CCAC) returns to the court on Monday, December 30 when they take on McPherson College (Kan.) in the St. Francis New Year's Classic. The game scheduled for a 3:00 pm start in Joliet, Ill.