The setting:
In October 1788, surveyor John Filson founded a town he called Losantiville. Recognizing that name as stupid, someone renamed the metropolis in honor of the Knights of Cincinnatus. Just under 227 years later, Xavier travelled across town to play UC in a battle of teams clawing towards the safe side of the bubble. In a game both resumes desperately needed, Xavier came out firing, gashing UC's vaunted defense and opening up a double-digit lead before the horn for halftime. Then the guns went silent and the Bearcats climbed back into the game, finally taking their first lead with just over a minute left.
The play:
Dee Davis 3 with 52 seconds remaining, +33% win probability. Coach Mack got out the dry erase markers to draw up one of his Gordian Knots of motion that he dares defenses to untie. The result of it was Dee Davis briefly free behind the arc on the right wing. He caught a pass from Matt Stainbrook and launched the ball skyward, lodging Xavier hearts in throats until it rested gently in the strings to cap his 5-5 night from behind the arc and put Xavier back on top by one with less than a minute to go.
The outcome:
You can be forgiven for remembering that shot as the game winner, but there was still a sting left in the tail of this one. After Troy Caupain hit a pair of free throws to give UC the lead, Xavier freshman Trevon Bluiett returned the favor at the other end, bloodlessly silencing a partisan crowd with a 2-2 showing at the stripe. One Farad Cobb shot at glory from so far away that he wouldn't have even had a first-and-goal from that distance in football and the Musketeers would return home with a crucial Shootout victory.
What we said at the time:
"When his team needed a basket to keep from blowing a huge lead in a big game, Dee answered the bell."
"Dad's take: 'Ironman performance. That's what a senior leader does.'"
"It wasn't pretty, but Xavier got the result they needed."