CHICAGO – In a game that saw 101 combined free-throw attempts, senior guard Ike Nwaobi (York/Kilgore/Costal Bend/Westbrook) made an immediate impact in his team debut, coming away with game-highs in points (23) and rebounds (10), while shooting 13-for-19 from the foul line, to help guide the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (1-0, 0-0 CCAC) to an 82-76 season-opening victory over Cleary University (Mich.) Thursday evening on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Nwaobi shot 5-for-8 from the field, along with a game-best four steals and an assist in 23 minutes off the bench. The 40 made free throws and 60 free throw attempts are both unofficial single-game records for SXU, breaking the previous high of 38 made foul shots at Robert Morris University (Ill.) in triple overtime of February 11, 2015. The previous high for attempts was 50, also against RMU, and vs. Barat College (Ill.) on January 13, 2001.

• Senior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community) went 5-for-12 from the floor, and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points. He also added three rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal in 21 minutes of play.
• Senior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) collected 11 points, all from the charity stripe by going 11-for-12, two rebounds, two steals and an assist in 27 minutes of action.
• Redshirt junior guard MJ Galimah (Coon Rapids, Mich./St. Cloud Tech/Riverland/Coon Rapids), making his Saint Xavier debut as well, scored eight points with six rebounds and an assist in 23 minutes on the court.
• Senior guard Mekhi Wilson (Covington, Ky./Iowa Central/Covington Catholic) tallied eight points while adding two rebounds and a steal in 15 minutes off the bench.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Jordan Streeter (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) totaled five points, four rebounds and a pair of assists in 25 minutes.
• Redshirt junior guard DJ Wilson (Schaumburg, Ill./Maryville/Panola/Schaumburg) added five points, an assist and a rebound in 16 minutes of play.
• Saint Xavier maintained a lead throughout the first half. A steal and a fast-break layup by Nwaobi with 6:06 left in the half gave the Cougars their largest lead, 27-16. Cleary would chip away, and SXU held a 40-35 advantage at halftime.
• CU went up 49-47 with 15:01 to go in regulation, and the lead would go back and forth over the next five minutes before the visiting Cougars held their largest lead of the contest, 62-57, midway through the frame at 10:15. The game was one-possession down the stretch. Galimah threw down a slam dunk with 6:49 remaining that put Saint Xavier up for good, and he would seal the win in the final minute with another dunk.

Saint Xavier (1-0, 0-0 CCAC) makes the trip to Winona Lake, Ind. to face No. 7 Grace College (Ind.) in non-conference play on Tuesday, November 4. The game is slated for a 6:00 pm central tip-off.