No. 6 Xavier Opens BIG EAST Play with Road Win at Marquette

Wednesday, December 27

Milwaukee, Wis.

8:30 p.m.

Xavier University

13-1, 1-0BE

Marquette

9-4, 0-1BE

Xavier

Marquette

No. 6 Xavier Opens BIG EAST Play with Road Win at Marquette

12.27.17 | Men's Basketball

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

Bluiett's 23 points lead the way for the Musketeers

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

MILWAUKEE – No. 6 Xavier held off Marquette to open its BIG EAST Conference schedule with a 91-87 win on Wednesday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Neither team led by more than seven points in a game that featured 11 ties and 10 lead changes before the Musketeers edged away late, sealing the win at the free throw line in the final minute.

Five Musketeers hit double figures, led by Trevon Bluiett's 23, as Xavier won its eighth straight game, moving to 13-1 overall and 3-0 in true road games. Marquette moved to 9-4 on the season.

FIRST HALF

Xavier opened the game with a 6-0 run, and used eight points early from Tyrique Jones to hold an advantage or tie for the first eight minutes.
Xavier held a 15-9 lead at the 14:44 mark before MU put together a 10-0 run to take a four-point lead with just over 11 minutes before halftime.
A pair of threes from Kerem Kanter and Trevon Bluiett helped Xavier erase the deficit, the start of a 10-3 run to retake a four-point lead, 25-21, with just under nine minutes before halftime.
After trading leads, Xavier used a 11-3 run to erase a two-point deficit to go back ahead by six, 36-30, with under five minutes to play, matching its largest lead of the half.
After MU crept ahead, 39-38, with 3:32 to play, Xavier scored four unanswered to close the half, going into the break up 42-39.
Trevon Bluiett led Xavier with 11 first half points.
The Musketeers owned a 20-18 edge on the boards, led by four for Kaiser Gates.

SECOND HALF

Marquette scored five unanswered to open the second half, retaking the lead, 44-42.
The Musketeers and Golden Eagles traded leads before MU pushed out to a five-point lead, 56-51, with 12 minutes to play. A 7-2 Xavier run over the next minute tied the game at 58-58, going into the final 10 minutes of the game.
The balanced effort continued, with the game tied 63-63 at the 8:44 mark when the Musketeers put together a 9-2 run to take a 72-65 lead with six minutes to play. The seven-point lead would be the largest for either team at that point.
Xavier retained a one-to-two possession lead down the stretch, with MU tying it up, 80-80, in the final three minutes. The Musketeers ripped off five straight points to lead 85-80 going into the final 90 seconds of play.
Xavier closed the game going 6-of-6 at the free throw line in the final 30 seconds, matching its largest lead of the game at seven before a Marquette three at the buzzer set the final score at 91-87.
Trevon Bluiett scored 12 in the second half, including going 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
J.P. Macura finished with 11 in the second period.
Xavier owned a 24-14 advantage on points in the paint in the second half and shot nearly 60 percent from the floor for the half.
The Musketeers owned a slight advantage on the boards, 17-16, in the final 20 minutes, led by three for Bluiett.

NOTABLES

Five Musketeers hit double figures, led by 23 for Trevon Bluiett. Bluiett also led the Musketeers with six rebounds and eight assists.
J.P. Macura added 15 after scoring 11 in the second half.
Tyrique Jones finished with 12 points, going 5-of-6 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line.
Naji Marshall scored 11 and Quentin Goodin added 10 for the Musketeers.
All nine Musketeers who played scored.
The Musketeers shot just over 50 percent from the floor for the game.
Xavier owned a 44-28 advantage on points in the paint.
The Musketeers outrebounded Marquette, 37-34, but the Golden Eagles owned a 12-7 advantage on offensive boards, outscoring Xavier 18-7 on second chance points.