It seemed as if a few lifetimes passed over the course of Xavier's game on Wednesday at Providence with all that happened in one of the best college basketball games of the season.
When it was over, one team walked away in defeat, probably wondering how one of the best games they've played in months wasn't enough.
The one thing that was clear: Xavier had no interest in claiming a moral victory.
That was the message Xavier head coach Travis Steele delivered following a 99-92 loss on Wednesday at Providence in the Musketeers' first triple-overtime game since 2010.
"There's no moral victories," said Steele, whose team has now lost three games in a row. "We play to win, but I thought our guys competed, they fought, they left it all out there.
"Listen, if we do those things we're gonna be more than fine."
For as well as Xavier played, for as hard as Xavier played, and as diligently as Xavier fought, close still gets marked down as a loss.
But that doesn't mean it was all for not.
More:Xavier falls in a dramatic triple-overtime loss at No. 11 Providence
"I think both teams deserved to win that game," said Providence head coach Ed Cooley. "I thought Travis had his men ready. They were very aggressive on the glass ... that's a team that was playing with a lot of emotion.
"... Older teams fighting right to the very end. That was as good of a basketball game as I've coached in in a long, long time."
Providence is 23-3 and ranked No. 11 in the Associated Press poll for a reason. The Friars lead the Big East Conference for a reason – they're a good team, especially at home in the Dunkin' Donuts Center.
Xavier battled with the Big East leader for 55 minutes in a game that felt more like an NCAA Tournament elimination game.
The Musketeers may not have won but they proved they're still in the fight, still capable of playing good basketball and competing against high-level teams. That fact won't go on Xavier's postseason resume or help in the Big East standings, but it's an important distinction for the three games remaining on Xavier's regular-season schedule.
Now, Xavier has to bury Wednesday's loss and leave it there. It was an emotionally and physically draining game, and Xavier can't let it beat them again on Saturday when Seton Hall visits Cintas Center.
"We gotta be able to turn the page very quickly. We're gonna have Seton Hall come into our house on Saturday. Shoot we're not gonna get back until the wee hours of the morning tonight so we gotta be really smart on what we do over the next couple days," said Steele.
The major disparity in the game centered around the 3-point line. Xavier did the majority of its damage inside the arc, while Providence lived outside the arc.
Both teams made 33 field goals but the Friars made 14 3-pointers. Xavier made five.
Providence outscored the Musketeers 42-15 in that category.
Which makes Nate Johnson's absence all the more glaring. Johnson, Xavier's best 3-pointer shooter, missed a third straight game on Wednesday at Providence due to a knee injury he suffered a couple of weeks ago in the Musketeers' win over UConn, leaving many to wonder if Johnson will be able to return this season.
"Yeah," Steele told The Enquirer when asked if the expectation is that Johnson will return this season. "He's working hard with his rehab. I know he wants to be out there. Obviously, we're only gonna put him out there if he's in a good space mentally and he feels good about it. I think hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later."
Xavier fell one spot in the NET rankings on Thursday to No. 26 and the Musketeers actually climbed two spots in KenPom.com's team rankings to No. 35.
There are three games left on the schedule and they're all important. Based on the way Xavier played on Wednesday, the Musketeers are capable of winning all three and putting February firmly behind them heading into the Big East Tournament.
If Xavier finishes the season playing the way it did at Providence, the Musketeers should be headed to the NCAA Tournament.
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