Xavier Erases Second Half Deficit to Top Butler 62-57 in BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals

Thursday, March 9

New York, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Butler

Xavier Erases Second Half Deficit to Top Butler 62-57 in BIG EAST Tournament Quarterfinals

03.09.17 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Postgame Quotes Season Stats (PDF)Season stats

Musketeers face Creighton tomorrow at 9 PM

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

NEW YORK - A 13-point swing in the final eight minutes helped the seventh-seeded Xavier Musketeers erase a seven-point deficit and advance to the semifinals of BIG EAST Tournament for the fourth-straight year with a 62-57 win over the No. 2 seed Butler. Bluiett posted nine of his team-high 23 points in the final eight minutes to help complete the comeback, one of three Musketeers to hit double figures ast Xavier moves to 21-12 overall.

Xavier will face off with No. 6 seed Creighton tomorrow at 9:00 P.M. at Madison Square Garden.

NOTABLE

Trevon Bluiett led the Musketeers with 23 points after a 17 point second half. Bluiett hit on nine of 12 free throws for his 16th 20-point game of the season. Bluiett also finished with four assists.

Malcolm Bernard posted the first double-double of his Xavier career, scoring 12 points, including connecting on 3-of-4 outside shots, and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the team. Bernard dished out four assists as well.

Sean O'Mara finished with 10 points after hitting 50 percent from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.

Xavier owned a 31-26 advantage on the boards, led by Bernard's 10 and six for J.P. Macura.

Xavier is now 6-3 in BIG EAST Tournament play, including 4-0 in quarterfinal games. The Musketeers have advanced to the semifinals each of the four years Xavier has played in the BIG EAST.

The Musketeers are the first No. 7 seed to advance to the semifinals in the new configuration of the BIG EAST.

FIRST HALF

After trading possessions to open the game, the Musketeers used a 9-0 run to build 13-5 lead in the first seven minutes of the game. Xavier took advantage of Bulldog turnovers early, turning five Butler miscues into seven points as they pushed ahead by eight, Xavier's largest lead of the game.

Butler responded with a 10-1 run to retake the lead, 17-16, with eight minutes remaining in the half.

The two teams traded one-possession leads until the final minute of the half, when Butler pushed ahead by four. A Bernard three cut the Xavier deficit down to one, 27-26, before a BU three at the buzzer gave the Bulldogs a 30-26 lead at the break.

Bernard's three, his second of the first half, brought his first half point total to a team-high eight points. Bluiett and Macura each added six in the first 20 minutes.

Xavier owned a 15-14 advantage on the boards in the first 20 minutes, led by four for Bernard.

SECOND HALF

Butler hit on the opening possession of the half to go ahead six, 32-16, it's largest lead to that point. Xavier responded with 10 straight points to reclaim the lead, going ahead 38-34.

The Musketeers committed seven turnovers in the first eight minutes of the half, leading to nine points for the Bulldogs as BU responded with an 11-0 run to take the 45-38 lead.

A Bluiett three stopped the Butler run, but the Bulldogs outscored the Musketeers 4-1 over the next two minutes to push the lead back out to seven, 49-42, with under eight minutes remaining.

After falling behind by seven, the largest deficit of the game for the Musketeers, Xavier scored eight unanswered to retake the lead, 50-49, going into the final four minutes of the game.

After the Musketeers led by as many as three, Xavier and Butler went into the final 30 seconds tied, 57-57.

With 17 seconds on the clock, a Bluiett jumper put the Musketeers ahead, 59-57.

Out of a timeout, Butler had a look at the go-ahead three and a chance to tie off the rebound, but both fell short with Macura finding the ball and getting fouled.

Macura made the first and missed the second, leaving the door open for Butler to tie with three seconds remaining, but Tyrique Jones stole the ball and dunked just before the buzzer to secure the 62-57 win.

Bluiett led the Musketeers with a 17-point second half, hitting 5-of-8 from the floor.

Xavier shot over 60 percent from the floor overall in the second half, including hitting 3-of-5 from outside, while holding BU to less than 40 percent shooting from the floor, including just one three.

The Musketeers finished with a 16-12 advantage on the boards in the second half, led by six rebounds for Bernard.

UP NEXT

Xavier will face off with the sixth-seeded Creighton tomorrow at 9:00 P.M. at Madison Square Garden. The semifinal game will be available on FS1.

VIDEO