Sumner’s Career Day Leads No. 17 Xavier Over Georgetown

Saturday, December 31

Washington, D.C.

11 a.m.

Xavier University

Georgetown

Sumner’s Career Day Leads No. 17 Xavier Over Georgetown

12.31.16 | Men's Basketball

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Sophomore guard posts 28-point performance on 21st birthday

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Edmond Sumner celebrated his birthday with a career day, leading the No. 17 Musketeers over the Georgetown Hoyas, 81-76, at the Verizon Center on Saturday afternoon. The Musketeers move to 12-2 overall and 2-0 in BIG EAST play with the win.

NOTABLE

Sumner totaled 28 points, topping his previous career high of 24 set earlier this season against Lehigh. Sumner went 7-of-13 from the floor and 14-of-17 from the free throw line.

Sumner also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out six assists in an all-around effort on the sophomore guard's 21^st birthday.

Sumner's performance matches J.P. Macura's 28-point performance against Clemson as the most points in a single game for a Musketeer this season.

J.P. Macura finished with 23 points after leading the way for Xavier in the first half.

Sumner and Macura's performances mark the third time this year XU has had two players with 20 or more points.

Xavier owned a 42-36 advantage on the boards, led by nine for RaShid Gaston.

Much of Xavier's rebounding came on the offensive glass, grabbing 14 offensive boards to six for Georgetown for 18 second chance points to just nine for GU.

Xavier's work on the offensive glass helped counter act a 50 percent shooting day for the Hoyas to 39 percent day from the floor for the Musketeers.

MACURA LEADS IN THE FIRST

The Hoyas and the Musketeers traded first half leads, with neither team leading by more than two possessions in the first 20 minutes.

J.P. Macura led the Musketeers early, putting up 15 first half points as the Musketeers led by as many as six in the first half.

Georgetown battled back to take the lead in the closing minutes, taking a 38-36 advantage into halftime.

Sumner added 11 in the first period, and grabbed six board to match Trevon Bluiett for team high as both the Hoyas and the Musketeers finished the first 20 minutes with 19 rebounds.

SUMNER SEALS WIN

After Xavier took the lead to open the second half, the Hoyas scored seven unanswered to take a 45-39 lead less than two minutes into the period.

After falling behind by its largest deficit of the game, Xavier battled back, outscoring the Hoyas 10-4 over the next four minutes to tie the game 49-49 with 14 minutes to be played.

The two teams battled back and forth for much of the second half, with Sumner's 17 second half points leading the way for the Musketeers.

Xavier took a 65-61 lead with seven minutes to play, the Musketeers' first two-possession lead of the second half. Xavier extended the lead to as many as eight, 72-64, in the final five minutes.

Eight points late for GU's Rodney Pryor helped the Hoyas battle to within two in the final two minutes of the game, but Sumner went 7-of-8 from the line to secure the win for the Musketeers.

UP NEXT

Xavier returns home for its next matchup, taking on the St. John's Red Storm on Saturday, January 7, at Cintas Center. Tip is set for 2:30 p.m. on FS1.