Late Run Propels No. 15 Xavier to 80-70 Win at Wisconsin

Thursday, November 16

Madison, Wis.

8:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Wisconsin

Late Run Propels No. 15 Xavier to 80-70 Win at Wisconsin

11.16.17 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)Photos

Bluiett scores 12 in the final three minutes to pull away from the Badgers

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

MADISON, Wis. – A scoring outburst in closing minutes at Wisconsin powered No. 15 Xavier to an 80-70 win over the Badgers in the Gavitt Games on Thursday evening. Wisconsin held a two-point lead with less than three minutes to play, but a 12-0 run, featuring 10 points from senior Trevon Bluiett, moved the Musketeers ahead for good, moving Xavier to 3-0 on the season.

Bluiett's 12 late points brought his game-high total to 25, leading four Musketeers in double figures.

FIRST HALF

Xavier opened 4-of-4 from the floor, leading by as many as five in the first 10 minutes of the game. After taking the lead to open the game, the Musketeers held an advantage until the 11:35 mark in the first half.
The Badgers and the Musketeers traded one point leads until back-to-back three pointers from Kaiser Gates pushed Xavier back out to a five-point advantage, 24-19, with seven minutes to play before halftime.
Gates' six-point outburst started a 12-2 run for the Musketeer to push the Xavier lead out to nine, which would match the Musketeers' largest lead of the first half.
Xavier held a 34-25 lead with under four minutes to play, but the Badgers closed the half on a 9-0 run to go into the break tied, 34-34.
J.P. Macura and Kaiser Gates led the Musketeers with eight points each in the first half.
Tyrique Jones added six on 3-of-3 shooting from the floor.
Xavier shot 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the first half.
The Musketeers led the Badgers 19-14 on the boards in the first half, led by five each for Trevon Bluiett and Gates.

SECOND HALF

Just out of the break, Wisconsin jumped out to one-possession advantage, leading by as many as three in the first four minutes of the second half.
Xavier outscored Wisconsin 11-3 over the next three minutes to retake a multiple-possession advantage, leading by as many as seven in the final seven minutes before a 7-0 run for UW tied the game, 64-64, with four minutes remaining.
Wisconsin took a 66-64 with under three minutes to play when Xavier exploded for a 12-0 run over the next 1:46, fueled by 10 points by Bluiett, to take its first double digit lead going into the final 40 seconds of the game.
Xavier would lead by as many as 12 in the final minute before winning by a final score of 80-70.
Bluiett led the Musketeers with 21 points in the second half, hitting 6-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-3 from three in the second half.
Macura added 12 in the second half, hitting 6-of-7 shots from the floor.
Xavier hit 4-of-5 from three in the second half.
The Musketeers out-rebounded the Badgers, 18-14, in the second half, led by four each for Jones and Macura.

NOTABLES

Trevon Bluiett finished with 25 points, the third time this season the senior has scored 25 or more. Bluiett scored 21 points in the second half after going into the break with four points and no made field goals.
Bluiett went 10-of-10 from the line, now standing at a perfect 17-of-17 on the season. The 10 made free throws match his career high, set against Florida State in the NCAA Tournament last March.
J.P. Macura finished with 20 points on 66.6 percent shooting from the floor.
Tyrique Jones finished with 11 points, including hitting 60 percent on field goals and 3-of-4 at the line.
Kaiser Gates also hit double figures, finishing with 11 after an eight-point first half.
The Musketeers dished out 14 assists, led by six for Quentin Goodin.
Xavier owned a 37-28 advantage on the boards, led by nine for Bluiett. Both teams grabbed seven offensive rebounds, but the Musketeers turned those boards into 12 second chance points to just four for the Badgers.
The Musketeers move to 2-0 in Gavitt Games, also winning on the road at Michigan during the 2015-16 season.