On the final first-half possession of Xavier's Big East matchup against Butler Jan. 16, Bulldogs' forward Jahmyl Telfort wanted the ball in isolation against Musketeers' forward Gytis Nemeiksa.

Nemeiksa wouldn't back down, matching Telfort's attempt to get into the paint. Telfort settled for a contested mid-range jumper with Nemeiksa's hand in his face, and the shot clanked off the rim. Xavier head coach Sean Miller pointed at Nemeiksa, nodding in satisfaction while walking off the court.

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That play likely was overlooked at Cintas Center that night as Xavier won, 85-71. But it's a moment that defines Nemeiksa's toughness and determination.

"I was never the most talented kid on teams. I just knew I needed to work hard to be able to play," Nemeiksa told The Enquirer. "That came from a young age."

Good things have started to come for Nemeiksa, referred to as "Nemo" among Xavier nation. His improved play in recent weeks coincided with a return to the starting lineup and a visit from his parents from Lithuania.

'I think that winter break helped me a lot.'

Nemeiksa began his college career with a bang, scoring in double figures in four of his first six games. After Xavier's loss to Delaware, freshman Lazar Djokovic replaced him in the starting lineup.

"I started well, then I had a couple bad games," Nemeiksa simply stated.

Nemeiksa, 23, is a senior, but he was still experiencing everything for the first time like one of Xavier's seven freshmen. He arrived at Xavier in early August, his first time in America. After a few shootarounds, he was playing with brand-new teammates in The Bahamas.

Without a car on campus, he never really left his apartment except for class or practice. A political science major, he was a step behind in his "Death and Mourning in United States History" class, having to learn the names of America's historical figures for the first time.

"I had no idea who they were," Nemeiksa said, laughing. "That was tough."

Then, with one semester under his belt, a reprieve arrived at his door when his parents, Vaidas and Linda Nemeiksiene, traveled over 4,700 miles to be with him over the Christmas break. They went to museums, Newport Aquarium and watched the New Year's Eve fireworks from Fountain Square.

It was the reset he needed.

"Maybe I was thinking too much about my family before that. I really wanted to see them. I was excited," Nemeiksa said. "When they left, I just focused again on basketball. I got some rest. My mood was so good. I think being with my family relaxed me. I am full of energy now. I think that winter break helped me a lot."

'My confidence level is the highest since I've been here.'

With his homesickness subsided, Nemeiksa has turned in his best all-around stretch of play right as Xavier needed it most. He had 10 points in Xavier's hard-fought loss to UConn, then was an instrumental part in a 20-3 second-half surge in Rhode Island, knocking down two 3-pointers and grabbing 7 rebounds in Xavier's 85-65 win over Providence.

Over Xavier's two-game homestand against Butler and Georgetown, he combined for 13 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

With Xavier searching for production from the 4-spot after the offseason losses of Jerome Hunter and Zach Freemantle, Nemeiksa is becoming a consistent contributor on both sides of the ball.

"He's starting to get used to the Big East Conference. I think he knows what it feels like after 5-6 games. Him playing well in that role gives us a lot more firepower," Miller said.

Nemeiksa added: "My confidence level is the highest since I've been here. I've always trusted myself. If you're not trusting yourself, then who can you trust?"

Trust has been built between Nemeiksa and the rest of Xavier's roster.

Five months ago, he felt like he needed to throw up when adjusting to American basketball's emphasis on pace with Xavier's exigent conditioning drills. Now, trust has been built between Nemeiksa and his teammates. It's all gas, no brakes whenever he's on the floor.

"We don't have to worry about him giving us everything he has. His teammates really respect his hard work," Miller said.

That hard work goes beyond a box score, too − battling for a jump ball to steal a possession, sealing a defender down low so a guard can have an uncontested layup, boxing out, diving on the floor. It's all in Nemeiksa's arsenal.

"Good things happen when you play hard," Nemeiksa said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big East basketball: Xavier's Gytis Nemeiksa will not be outworked