Xavier basketball entered the season with a severe lack of experience with 10 new players and two returning starters (Zach Freemantle, Jerome Hunter) out with injuries.

Head coach Sean Miller knew he'd have to lean on Xavier's three transfers − Dayvion McKnight, Quincy Olivari and Abou Ousmane − to be leaders (along with Desmond Claude), given their experience playing Division I basketball, albeit outside of the Big East.

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The transfer portal trio's leadership made its biggest difference two days after Miller announced "the moment of truth" for Xavier's season after a third-straight home loss.

On Thursday, just before JAY-Z's "Run This Town" blasted through an empty Cintas Center for Xavier's practice ahead of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout, Olivari, McKnight, Ousmane and Claude led a players-only meeting. Xavier was a "leaderless group" after losing to Delaware, and that had to change.

"We just set the expectations and held each other accountable," Olivari said. "That was me saying what I was gonna do to step up, Dayvion or Abou and Des, the same thing. I told them, 'I'm gonna do a better job of making you all feel welcome here or talking to the freshmen. When things go bad, I'm gonna hold them accountable."

Entering the Crosstown Shootout, Xavier was 0-5 this season in games decided by 12 points or less. When the going got tough against Delaware in the second half, Xavier backed down. Miller said his team had a confidence problem for the first time this season. Xavier players left that 20-minute meeting knowing that wasn't acceptable anymore.

Xavier led UC by eight at halftime before the Bearcats opened the second half with a furious run to take the lead. Xavier was outscored 18-9 at the beginning of the second half and trailed, 45-44. For the first time this season, the Musketeers had a response.

Xavier's 23-11 run was anchored by the key leaders of the players-only meeting, starting with Olivari, who knocked down four 3-pointers in that stretch. Ousmane marched his way toward his first double-double as a Musketeer with a pair of paint buckets and Claude's take to the rim gave Xavier an 11-point lead.

"I'm proud of how our team responded, especially after Thursday and the meeting," Olivari said. "It really shows a lot of promise for our group."

Late in the game, UC trimmed Xavier's lead to 70-66 with a 10-2 run going into the final media timeout. The last four-minute war of the night would decide the rivalry.

"It was our leadership group that came together and said, 'we gotta get stops first,' to really break the game open," Olivari.

Xavier did just that with back-to-back physical defensive possessions that resulted in UC misfires. On the offensive end, McKnight knocked down the de facto dagger with a 3-pointer at the 1:32 mark to put Xavier up seven.

Olivari, McKnight, Ousmane and Claude combined for 68 points, 27 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 steals and just 2 turnovers. When Xavier needed it most, they delivered, turning a "moment of truth" point to the year into a giant leap in the right direction with 21 games left in the regular season.

"Dayvion, Quincy, Des and Abou, those are our four leaders," Miller said. "Only one of those players have played in a Crosstown Shootout before, but I thought all four of them were really good in tonight's game."

Typically, players-only meetings are a cause for concern. For Miller, he could sense the team's turnaround in the days leading up to Saturday's win over UC.

"We've had multiple talks, practices, I thought just generally speaking, we had a great approach to this game . . . Some of the things Quincy talked about, we put into action," Miller said. "It felt different in our practices."

Can Xavier sustain it?

The biggest sign of Xavier's development this season will be stacking quality games. If Thursday's players-only meeting and Saturday's Shootout win really was a turning point, then the Musketeers need a similar effort when Winthrop comes to Cintas Center Dec. 16.

Xavier has had up-and-down outings scattered throughout 10 regular-season games thus far. One bad half against Washington cost Xavier a 2-0 trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. The Musketeers played No. 3 Purdue and No. 4 Houston tough, but then fell flat in costly non-conference home losses to Oakland and Delaware.

"That becomes the next challenge," Miller said. "Can you go from this game, have a great week and be better a week from today? We’re gonna keep moving forward, but I’m proud of our team.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How a players-only meeting helped Xavier win Crosstown Shootout