No. 13/14 Xavier Tops Kent State 96-70

Wednesday, December 6

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

8-1

Kent State

5-4

Kent State

Xavier

12.06.17 | Men's Basketball

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

Kerem Kanter's career high in points and rebounds helps Musketeers to victory

By: Laura Topp, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – No. 13/14 Xavier defeated Kent State on Wednesday night, 96-70, to improve its record to 8-1 in front of 10,292 people. This is the sixth sellout of the season for Xavier. The Musketeers had four score in double figures, featuring Kerem Kanter's career-high of 20 points and career high of eight rebounds.

FIRST HALF

Xavier opened the half with a 14-2 run, fueled by Trevon Bluiett's eight points and J.P. Macura's three assists, leaving Kent State scoreless for the first three minutes of the game.
Xavier closed the half on a 12-2 run led by Sean O'Mara's eight points. The Musketeers led the Golden Flashes at the break, 48-32. This marked Xavier's largest lead of the first half.
Bluiett led the Musketeers in the first half with 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and an impressive 100 percent from behind the arc, going 3-for-3.
Freshman Naji Marshall led the Musketeers with six boards at the break while contributing four points form the field.
The Musketeers out-scored the Golden Flashes on second chances points, 11-2, while shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line at the break.
Xavier dominated on both ends of the glass while out-rebounding Kent State 5-1 on the offensive end and 13-9 on the defensive glass.

SECOND HALF

Xavier held Kent State to only seven points in the first 10 minutes of the second half, opening the half on a 23-7 run.
Kerem Kanter led the Musketeers in the second half with 16 of his 20 points coming after the break.
Marshall finished tying his career high of seven rebounds while adding six points and two assists.
Xavier's largest lead came during the second half when they were ahead by 34 points, 73-39 at the 10 minute mark.

NOTABLES

Jones led the Musketeers with a career-high two steals while Kaiser Gates and Paul Scruggs each added one.
Kerem Kanter had a career high of eight rebounds while topping his Xavier career high for the second-straight game, adding 20 points.
Xavier had two Musketeers scoring at least 20, last time this happened this season was in a victory over Wisconsin.
The Musketeers shot an impressive 94 percent from the free throw line, going 24-25.
Bluiett led Xavier with 26 points, shooting 57 percent from the field.
Four Musketeers finished in double figures. Bluiett led with 26, followed by Kanter with 20, Sean O'Mara who added 14 and Jones' 13 points.
The Musketeers had a season low of nine turnovers.
Xavier's bench outscored Kent State, 43-21.
The Musketeers held the Golden Flashes to only seven second chance points while the Musketeers grabbed 27 defensive boards.