Bluiett’s Double-Double Leads No. 23 Musketeers to 78-66 Win Over NKU

Monday, November 23

Cincinnati, Ohio

8:30 P.M.

Xavier University

4-0

Northern Kentucky University

1-3

Northern Kentucky

Xavier

Bluiett’s Double-Double Leads No. 23 Musketeers to 78-66 Win Over NKU

11.23.15 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Six Musketeers hit double figures

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Trevon Bluiett's second career double-double led the way as Xavier topped NKU, 78-66, at Cintas Center on Monday evening. Six Musketeers scored in double figures as No. 23 Xavier moved to 4-0 on the season.

Bluiett finished with 14 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds topping his previous career high of 12, set at DePaul on Jan. 3, 2015. His performance marks the most rebounds by an XU player since Justin Martin grabbed 16 against Creighton at Cintas Center on March 1, 2014. Bluiett also dished out five assists, matching NKU's Lavone Holland II for game-high.

James Farr finished with 13 points while Myles Davis, Remy Abell and Edmond Sumner each added 12. Jalen Reynolds scored 11 to round out the Musketeers in double figures.

Xavier used three-point shooting to build a 15-8 lead in the first five minutes, with three of its first five made field goals coming from outside the arc. Reynolds led the Musketeers early, getting six points and five rebounds, including a pair off the offensive glass, to help the Musketeers build its early lead.

NKU countered with hot outside shooting of its own, going 5-of-8 to climb within one, 22-21, with just over 11 minutes remaining in the half.

Xavier used a 12-2 run to push out to its largest lead of the first half, 34-23. NKU continued relying on outside shots, finishing the half 7-of-15 from three and closing the score to within four, 39-35, in the final two minutes, but the Musketeers closed on a 6-0 run to take a 44-35 lead into the break.

Bluiett led the Musketeers with 11 points and nine rebounds in the first half. Reynolds finished the half with nine points and five rebounds. Davis and Farr each added seven in the first period.

The Musketeers shot 50.0 percent from three (4-of-8) in the first period, but the Norse hit three more shots from outside the arc. Xavier outscored NKU, 8-0, on fastbreak points in the first half.

Early in the second half, Xavier used an 8-2 run, sparked by six points from Farr, to extend the lead to 13. After relying heavily on the three point shot in the first half, the Norse went 0-for-5 to open the second period. The Musketeers continued to move the ball up the court quickly, scoring 14 points on the fast break to just two for the Norse for the game.

Xavier extended its lead to as many as 17, 62-54, with 10 minutes left in the second half, maintaining a double-digit lead until a 7-0 run by NKU's Tyler White pulled the Norse to within nine, 74-65, with just over two minutes remaining. The Musketeers closed out the game by going 4-of-4 at the free throw line to seal the 78-66 win.

NKU's White finished with 25 points to lead all scorers. Holland added 11 for the Norse.

The Musketeers now prepare for the eight-team AdvoCare Invitational held from Nov. 26-29 in Orlando, Fla. Xavier opens play against Alabama on Thursday, Nov. 26 at noon on ESPN2.