2016 Tire Pros Invitational Championship Notes

THE CHAMPIONSHIP – With the Tire Pros Invitational being moved from Puerto Rico for the 2016 event, nationally-ranked Xavier of the Big East Conference will be challenged by Northern Iowa of the Missouri Valley for the championship Sunday (November 20) evening at the HP Field House in Kissimmee, Fla. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) with the game being aired by ESPN.

RANKING – Xavier is ranked in the polls – No. 10 by the USA Today Coaches and No. 11 by the Associated Press.

THE COAHES – Chris Mack is second on Xavier’s all-time coaching win list with 166 victories in seven-plus seasons (243 games, 68.3%). He has led Xavier to six post-season appearances and has more NCAA tournament wins (seven) than any coach in program’s history. Ben Jacobson is UNI all-time wins’ leader with 223 victories in 10-plus seasons (341 games, 65.4%). He has guided the Panthers to four NCAA Tournament appearances and four NCAA victories.

XAVIER VS. NORTHERN IOWA – Northern Iowa and Xavier will be meeting for the first-time. However, the two schools will meet again in six days for a rematch. UNI playing next Saturday (November 26) at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati against Xavier. 

Xavier (4-0)
N5          Ferris State (Exhibition)…….W 80-56
N11        Lehigh………………………………W 84-81
N14        Buffalo……………………………..W 86-53
Tire Pros Invitational
N17        Missouri………………………….. W 83-82 (OT)
N18        Clemson………………………….. W 83-77
N20        Northern Iowa, 7:30 p.m. ET
N26        Northern Iowa (non-bracketed), 12 p.m. ET

Northern Iowa (3-0)
O28        Bemidji State (Exhibition)…..W 71-48
N12        Coe……………………………………W 74-37
Tire Pros Invitational
N17        Arizona State……………………. W 82-63
N18        Oklahoma……………………….. W 73-67 OT
N20        Xavier, 6:30 p.m. CT
N26        at Xavier (non-bracketed), 11 a.m. CT

HP FIELD HOUSE – Xavier has now won five-straight games at the HP Field House, including three last Thanksgiving when the Musketeers captured the 2015 AdvoCare Invitational by defeating Alabama, USC and Dayton.

COMEBACK – Northern Iowa’s 18-point comeback victory over Oklahoma tied the Panthers’ the largest such win in the school’s NCAA Division I history. UNI also posted an 18-point comeback win over Illinois State in the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship game (March 8, 2015).

TIRE PROS INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (Puerto Rico Tip-Off 2007-2015) – A school from the Big East Conference will be playing for a Tire Pros trophy for the fifth-time with a 2009 title for Villanova. Xavier won the 2008 championship as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Northern Iowa is the first team from the Missouri Valley Conference to player for the title. Big East schools have a 16-7 record (69.6%) record in the Tire Pros events. Missouri Valley schools are 3-5 (37.5%).

Championship game (March 8, 2015).

TIRE PROS INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES (Puerto Rico Tip-Off 2007-2015) – A school from the Big East Conference will be playing for a Tire Pros trophy for the fifth-time with a 2009 title for Villanova. Xavier won the 2008 championship as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Northern Iowa is the first team from the Missouri Valley Conference to player for the title. Big East schools have a 16-7 record (69.6%) record in the Tire Pros events. Missouri Valley schools are 3-5 (37.5%). 

OVERTIMES – Both Xavier and Northern Iowa had to win overtimes games to the TPI finals. Xavier also won an overtime game enroute to its 2008 Tire Pros title (then known as the Puerto Rico Tip-Off) by defeating Virginia Tech 63-62 in the semi-finals. There now have been seven overtimes in tournament history with event finalists Oklahoma State (2012) and Michigan (2013) also playing an extra period game on their journey to the finals.

NOVEMBER 23, 2008 – Terrell Holloway made 10 free throws without a miss and finished with 13 points to help Xavier beat Memphis 63-58 for the 2008 Puerto Rico Tip-Off title. B. J. Raymond and Jamel McLean added 11 points each for the Musketeers, and C.J. Anderson (the MVP) finished with 10. Tyreke Evans led Memphis with 12 points, but was 4-for-16 from the field. Robert Dozier and Antonio Anderson each scored 10 points. With both schools struggling from the field (Xavier – 36.0 percent and Memphis – 32.7), Holloway’s two free throws with 5:37 left gave Xavier the lead for good.