Xavier faced tough competition vs. Kennesaw State in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament, having to fight out of a 13-point deficit in the second half. However, the Musketeers were able to take the lead at one point in the second half with just a few minutes remaining, and came out with a 72–67 victory.
That comeback came with some heat, as No. 3 Xavier was facing the pressure to avoid the upset. At a timeout, guards Souley Boum and Adam Kunkel appeared to get into a screaming match during a tie game.
Boum was huge in the game, scoring 17 points and including four free throws to ice the game, while Kunkel hit a big three with under two minutes left in the game.
The Musketeers were down seven at halftime, and 13 more midway through the second half. However, they were able to squeak out of the game with a victory thanks to a game-saving block by forward Jack Nunge.
Still, facing such a big deficit in a first round game, tensions were obviously high for Xavier down the stretch.
