Let's be honest - nobody circled December 1st on their calendar expecting a nail-biter. When the Xavier Musketeers welcomed the Saint Francis Red Flash to Cintas Center, the expectation was a tune-up. What fans got was a 99 - 52 demolition that felt less like a basketball game and more like a track meet with a basketball. The Musketeers didn't just win; they sent a message to the Big East that their offense could detonate at any moment. For Saint Francis, it was a harsh lesson in the gap between the NEC and a high-major powerhouse - one that would define their season trajectory.
The Dec 1, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Saint Francis Red Flash guard Skylar Wicks (8) dribbles against the Xavier Musketeers in the first half at Cintas Center was the kind of mismatch that makes you check the scoreboard twice. Xavier shot a blistering 54.8% from the field and forced 21 turnovers, turning every Saint Francis miscue into a fast-break highlight. By halftime, the lead was already 30+, and the second half was pure garbage-time cinema. But buried under the avalanche of Musketeer dunks and transition threes was a quieter battle - one that would tell us more about the Red Flash's season than the final score ever could.
Wicks' Quiet Night in the Storm
Amid the 47-point avalanche, it was easy to miss the quieter storylines. Saint Francis guard Skylar Wicks logged 17 minutes of action, finishing with just 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting, pulling down a single rebound while adding one assist and one steal. Statistically? It's a line you'd normally scroll past. But for Wicks, this wasn't about the box score. It was about surviving the physicality of a Big East backcourt and running an offense against a team that forced turnovers like they were collecting souvenirs. Her lone bucket came on a gritty drive in the first half - a flash of the tenacity that would define her junior campaign.
📊 Wicks played 17 minutes in the Dec 1 blowout, finishing with 2 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. - A night of survival, not stardom, against a high-major defense.
It wasn't just about the points. Wicks was asked to initiate offense against Xavier's press, a task that would rattle even seasoned seniors. She didn't shrink - she adapted. That single steal was a testament to her defensive instincts, and the assist showed her unselfishness in a game that was already out of reach. For a player who would later become a key rotational piece, that December night was less a failure and more a fire test. She passed, even if no one was watching.
From 52-Point Lows to a 15-Win Season
Here's where the story gets interesting. That December night in Cincinnati could have broken a lesser team's spirit. Instead, the Red Flash used it as a baseline. Wicks, a junior guard, bounced back from the brutal loss to become a reliable rotational piece for a Saint Francis squad that finished the 2025-26 season at a respectable 15-15 overall and 10-8 in the Northeast Conference. Wicks averaged 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 35.8% from the floor. The loss to Xavier didn't define her - it sharpened her. The Red Flash rode that resilience all the way to the NEC tournament semifinals, where they ultimately fell to Fairleigh Dickinson.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 22 |
| Points Per Game | 5.5 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 2.0 |
| Assists Per Game | 1.4 |
| Steals Per Game | 1.1 |
| FG% | 35.8% |
| 3P% | 28.6% |
Xavier's Rollercoaster Journey
On the flip side, that 99-point explosion was a season highlight for the Musketeers, but it wasn't the springboard they hoped for. Xavier finished the year 16-15 overall and a middling 8-10 in Big East play. While they had the firepower to torch mid-majors, they couldn't find consistency against conference rivals. The win over Saint Francis showcased a ceiling that, frustratingly for Musketeers fans, they rarely reached in crunch time. No NCAA bid, no WNIT invite - just a season of "what ifs" that started with a night of absolute dominance in Cincinnati.
📊 Xavier scored 99 points on Dec 1, their highest output of the 2025-26 season. - A ceiling they never touched again in Big East play.
