MIAMI GARDENS, Fla- The St. Thomas University men's basketball team defeated  Xavier of Louisiana, 70-60, for its seventh straight win, Wednesday night at the Fernandez Center. The match was part of the 2011 Miami Gardens Classic.  STU improves to 8-6 on the season, while Xavier (NAIA D-I) falls to 7-4.
 
STU's seven-game win streak began on December 1 at conference rival Embry-Riddle.  Five of the seven wins have come on the road.  The Bobcats have gone undefeated in the month of December.
 
Sophomore guard Kevin Hincapie led STU with 25 points and 6 rebounds. Senior forward David Nesbitt chipped in with 13 points and 5 rebounds. Off the bench, Kodahum Llongbey scored 10 points with two three-pointers.
 
The first ten minutes would be an exciting display of athleticism from both teams with fast break action on both ends of the floor. The score at the ten minute mark was Xavier 17 STU 15 before STU Head Coach Clark Maloney would call his first 20 second timeout.
 
The Bobcats would battle back and go on a 9-2 run and take a 24-19 lead with about four minutes to go in the first half. Hincapie would have a very productive first half with 13 points. An entertaining first half would come to a close with STU up 31-28.  
 
The second half would get underway and the Bobcats would go on an 8-0 run and take a 42-35 lead with about 15 minutes remaining in the game.
 
Xavier would take a 46-44 lead before Coach Maloney would call a timeout with about 11:32 left in the second half. STU would be propelled by the excellent play down the stretch by Nesbitt and Hincapie.
 
The Bobcats avenged their defeat by the Gold Rush earlier in the season where they lost by 10 in Louisiana.
 
The Miami Gardens Classic continues tomorrow with Xavier taking on Florida Memorial at 5 p.m.  STU will go for an eighth consecutive victory hosting Palm Beach Atlantic at 7 p.m.  All matches will take place inside the Fernandez Center.