CHICAGO – Five players finished in double-figures, including four starters, as the Saint Xavier University men's basketball team (9-13, 7-8 CCAC) came away with a 95-81 victory over Holy Cross College (Ind.) in Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Wednesday evening on Bob Hallberg Court at the Shannon Center in Chicago, Ill. Senior guard Jerry Abushanab (Glendale Heights, Ill./Oklahoma Panhandle State/Southwest Baptist/Link Prep) tied for the game-high with 21 points as he knocked down six three-pointers, along with five rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes of playing time. The Cougars tied their season high-best with 14 threes, shooting 53.8 percent (14-for-26) from beyond the arc. SXU's 34 made field goals were their second highest of the season. Their 95 points also tied for the team's second-highest output in 2025-26. Defensively, Saint Xavier blocked a season-high seven shots.

The Cougars jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening 90 seconds of the contest; however, the Saints responded with a 17-3 run over the next five minutes to hold a 17-11 advantage at the 13:54 mark. SXU trailed 20-16 before going on a run of their own, an 11-4 spurt, to put them up 27-20 at the media timeout midway through the half at 9:49. Holy Cross swung momentum back their way, building a 31-29 with 5:50 to go. A trey by Abushanab broke a 34-34 tie with 4:43 remaining that Saint Xavier would hold onto heading halftime with a 43-38 lead. Abushanab scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half.

Starting the second half, Abushanab hit his sixth three-pointer of the game. HCC kept within three possessions until junior guard Marko Tojagic (Belgrade, Serbia/Saint Andrews) converted an 'And-1' on either side of the media timeout for a 72-60 advantage with 9:49 left in the frame. The Cougars pulled away in the final 10 minutes to secure the key conference win.

• Senior guard Ike Nwaobi (York/Kilgore/Costal Bend/Westbrook) provided a lift off the bench, posting his second double-double of the season, netting 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 19 minutes of action. He added a block and a steal.
• Tojagic finished with a season-high 14 points, making six of his eight shot attempts, four rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and two steals.
• Senior forward Davion Lawrence (Oak Lawn, Ill./Moraine Valley/Oak Lawn Community) posted 13 points, nine rebounds (all defensive), a season-best three blocks and a pair of assists.
• Junior guard James Morgan (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban/Lincoln Land/East Chicago Central) collected 12 points of 5-for-9 shooting, and he handed out a season-high four assists.
• Redshirt sophomore guard James White (Chicago, Ill./Chicago-Agricultural Sciences) was perfect from the field as he made all four foul shots while going 2-for-2, including a three, for nine points and an assist.
• Senior guard Ashton Atwater (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Valley/Ostego) chipped in three assists, two points, two rebounds and a steal.

Saint Xavier (9-13, 7-8 CCAC) travels to La Crosse, Wis. to play Viterbo University (Wis.) in a CCAC contest on Saturday, February 7. The game is slated for a 3:00 pm tip-off.