LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Just a few games into the season, its clear 11th-ranked Xavier has some work to do closing out games.The Musketeers nearly let a 16-point second-half lead disappear, but Trevon Bluiett hit some clutch free throws late to help them pull away from Northern Iowa for a 67-59 victory in the Tire Pros Invitational championship game Sunday night.The Panthers came within five points with 1:35 left while Xaviers offense struggled, but then the Musketeers (5-0) hit 9 of 10 free throws in the final 57 seconds. That stalled the rally by Northern Iowa, which seemed poised to overcome a double-digit deficit for the second time in as many games.Id like to have those last four or five minutes back, but its so early, Xavier coach Chris Mack said. Were a little bit better in terms of finishing the game, but we still have a ways to go in that department.Bluiett converted 5 of 6 free throws after missing some critical shots earlier that helped open the door for the comeback attempt.We kind of base everything on a next-play mentality, so you cant really worry over the past plays, said Bluiett, who finished with a game-high 21 points. My teammates do a good job of kind of helping me forget about that.After going into halftime with the game tied 30-30, the Musketeers started the second strong with Bluiett and Edmond Sumner leading the way. Sumner scored 11 of his 17 points in the final 20 minutes.But once the Panthers (3-1) found their rhythm against Xaviers 1-1-3 zone and man-to-man defense, the game began to turn late. Jordan Ashton and Klint Carlson hit some big shots to bring Northern Iowa back, but the Musketeers showed poise just in time to pull away.Sometimes you get into the game and teams are maybe not what they seem like on film, but Xavier is every bit as good and in some ways even better, UNI coach Ben Jacobson said. We had a tremendous amount of respect for them even before this game and Ive got more now because they have so many ways they can beat you, offensively everybody can make plays.Now the two teams get to do it all over again when they meet Saturday at Xavier.Honestly, Im pretty excited, Bluiett said. They are good team and I think they are going to bring their A-game when they come back. They kind of have some motivation now and I think we will be ready for it, as well.BIG PICTUREN. Iowa: The Panthers are great 3-point shooters, but their shots were not falling consistently against Xavier. Morgan was the only shooter to show up on Sunday.Xavier: The Musketeers showed a variety of defenses to keep the Panthers off balance, switching from a 1-1-3 zone to man-to-man. Xavier has plenty of fire power on offense with J.P Macura and Quentin Goodin hitting big shots throughout the game.POLL IMPLICATIONSXavier: A win over previously unbeaten Northern Iowa could help the Musketeers standing.DOUBLING DOWNXavier consistently sent double teams at Northern Iowas Bennett Koch in the post in order to limit him, and it worked.Koch was just 4 of 8 from the field for 11 points and turned the ball over six times in the paint.ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMUNIs Jeremy Morgan joined Bluiett and Macura on the all-tournament team along with Oklahomas Jordan Woodard and Davidsons Jack Gibbs. Bluiett was the tournament MVP after scoring 56 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and getting seven assists over the three games. Morgan led UNI with 20 points in this one.UP NEXTN. 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BENSALEM, Pa. -- You couldnt wipe the smile off jockey Mike Smiths face. It wasnt just that Songbird won Saturdays Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing, it was how she did it.Songbird was nice and relaxed sitting off of Carina Mia for six furlongs before going after that Grade 1 winner at the five-sixteenths pole and disposing of that rival by the three-sixteenths pole en route to a 5-3/4-length victory.Carina Mia finished 6-3/4 lengths ahead of Cathryn Sophia. Land Over Sea, Disco Rose, and Queena Esther completed the order of finish.Man, that was good, Smith said. She was so happy, so cool, calm. She drew away, but she was having fun today. Thats the old her, I was really glad to see that.The victory was the 11th in as many starts for Songbird, a daughter of Medaglia dOro owned by Rick Porters Fox Hill Farm and trained by the Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer. Her combined margin of victory is 60-1/2 lengths.Songbird, last years 2-year-old filly champion, has now won seven Grade 1 races, four this year including the Santa Anita Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks, and Alabama.Smith indicated this might have been her best performance yet.She seemed to have blossomed, I dont know if thats possible; it feels kind of strange saying that as good as shes been, said Smith, who has been aboard for all 11 wins. Look at her color, she was playing in the post parade. I couldnt believe it. I think she likes the cooler weather a little bit.Smith was as interested as everybody else how the race would play out. In the Coaching Club American Oaks, Songbird was the target and it was Carina Mia who went after her at the quarter pole, only to be repelled.On Saturday, breaking from the rail, Carina Mia went to the lead under Julien Leparoux, set fractions of 23.81 seconds for the quarter, 47.71 for the half-mile, and 1:12.04.I was wondering, didnt quite know, said Smith, when asked how he thought the race would unfold. I was going to stay out to see if they wanted to go ahead instead of pressing me on the outside this time, as opposed to the Coacching Club.dddddddddddd. I did what I did and it worked again. When you ride a filly like this just about anything works, really.Leparoux said he rode Carina Mia the way she wanted to be ridden today. ... We had the inside post, she broke good, this time Mike kind of looked at us. We didnt go crazy, crazy; she fought back, she just got beat today by a champion.Songbird covered the 1-1/16 miles in 1:44.02 and returned $2.60 as the 1-5 favorite.Here once again Songbird laid off the pace a little and ran at them when Mike asked her to, Hollendorfer said. Very grateful for her and Im very pleased the way she did that today.The victory was sweet for Porter, who was hospitalized last month and forced to miss the Alabama. He attended the Cotillion.With this filly its special anywhere, he said. Shes just incredible. The performances she puts in time and time again; the way she gets out of that gate and Mike lets her do what she wants to do. Its just so much fun to watch her run.It wasnt fun for John Servis, the trainer of Cathryn Sophia, who, along with locally based owner Chuck Zacney, had targeted the Cotillion since the beginning of the year. Cathryn Sophia, sitting third behind Songbird and Carina Mia approaching the quarter pole, came up empty in the stretch under Javier Castellano.Im very surprised, I thought maybe she was a little flat, because I thought shed be a little closer to the pace, Servis said. [Castellano] said no, she was comfortable as can be and I was just sitting. He said at the three-eighths pole I thought I was a winner. She just didnt go on.Songbird will return to Southern California on Wednesday and point to the $2 million Distaff at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, when she could face champions Beholder and Stellar Wind.Jerry and I agree the Distaff is the race to run her in, Porter said. I know were hooking some big cheese in that race. Thats the fun of it, hook the big ones and hope to beat them. 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