Xavier Freshmen Shine as Musketeers hold off No. 22 Creighton on the Road

Saturday, February 4

Omaha, Neb.

3 p.m.

Xavier University

17-6, 7-3BE

Creighton

20-4, 7-4BE

Xavier

#22 Creighton

Xavier Freshmen Shine as Musketeers hold off No. 22 Creighton on the Road

02.04.17 | Men's Basketball

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

Tyrique Jones, Quentin Goodin two of four Musketeers in double figures

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

OMAHA, Neb. – Xavier used a balanced effort to come from behind to take the 82-80 win on the road against No. 22 Creighton on Saturday. Four Musketeers hit double-figures, including a career day for Tyrique Jones, to move the Musketeers to 17-6 overall and 7-3 in BIG EAST play.

NOTABLE

Jones' new career high of 16 points tops his previous career high of 10 set against St. John's. Jones hit 8-of-8 from the floor, equaling the best effort by a Musketeer from the field in over 20 years.

Trevon Bluiett matched Jones for team high with 16 points. Bluiett also grabbed seven rebounds.

Quentin Goodin finished with 15 points, one off his career high, and dished out five assists.

J.P. Macura finished with 15 points after a 13-point second half.

Kaiser Gates finished with a career-high matching nine rebounds to lead the Musketeers as they out-rebounded Creighton, 38-36.

Xavier owned a 36-24 advantage on points in the paint.

MUSKETEERS LEAD EARLY

Xavier's youth led the way early, with freshmen Quentin Goodin and Tyrique Jones combining for 11 of Xavier's first 15 points as the Musketeers led by as many as four in the first five minutes of the game.

Xavier hit on 10 of its first 15 shots from the floor to lead by as many as five 22-17, seven minutes into the game.

After Xavier built its largest lead of the first half, Creighton responded with a 10-0 run, holding the Musketeers scoreless for over five minutes to put CU ahead 27-22, with seven minutes to play in the half, marking the first time the Bluejays' led.

The Musketeers were held without a field goal for over eight minutes, allowing CU to build its lead to as many as six.

Four points for Trevon Bluiett helped the Musketeers cut the lead down to two, but Creighton pushed the lead out to as many as 11 before going into the break up nine, 43-34.

Jones led the Musketeers with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor.

Goodin and Bluiett each added eight in the first half. Bluiett grabbed a team-high five rebounds as the Musketeers matched the Bluejays with 20 first half rebounds.

After shooting over 66 percent from the floor, Xavier finished the half hitting 15 of 35 shots from the floor. The Bluejays had 14 made field goals in the first 20 minutes, but eight of CU's makes were from beyond the three-point line.

XAVIER COMES BACK LATE

A 6-0 run early in the second half pulled the Musketeers to within one, 48-47.

Xavier trailed 51-50 with five minutes gone from the second half when CU put together an 8-0 run to push the lead out to nine, 59-50.

A balanced effort for the Musketeers chipped away at the lead, tying the game at 69-69 with under five minutes to play.

A free throw put CU ahead one, and the back-to-back threes by Bluiett put the Musketeers back in front, leading 75-70 with under three minutes to play.

Xavier led by four going into the final minute. A Creighton three cut the lead to one, 79-78, and the Musketeers hit three free throws in the final 20 seconds to secure the 82-80 win.

Macura had 13 points in the second half, shooting 80 percent from the floor and 3-of-4 from outside. The Musketeers shot over 60 percent from the floor in the second half, hitting 8-of-12 outside shots.

UP NEXT

Xavier returns home to host DePaul on Wednesday, February 8 at Cintas Center. The Musketeers and the Blue Demons tip off in 6:30 p.m. on FS1.