Men's Basketball Holds on Late in 91-85 Win Over Evansville

Saturday, November 10

Cincinnati, Ohio

4 p.m.

Xavier University

2-0

Evansville

0-2

Evansville

Xavier

Men's Basketball Holds on Late in 91-85 Win Over Evansville

11.10.18 | Men's Basketball

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Paul Scruggs leads Musketeers with career-high 24 points to help Xavier secure 41st straight non-conference win

By: Brandon Eckman, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier men's basketball defeated Evansville, 91-85, on Saturday evening for the second win of the season. Four Musketeers scored in double figures, led by Paul Scruggs with a career-high 24 points. Tyrique Jones added 19 points and a career-high 20 rebounds in the win over the Purple Aces.

FIRST HALF

Quentin Goodin led the way for the Musketeers in scoring in the first half after missing the season opener due to injury. Goodin scored 14 points and was successful on 5-of-7 shot attempts.
The Musketeers shot 18-for-33, 54.5 percent from the field and scored 24 points in the paint while holding Evansville to just 10 points down low.
Xavier's bench contributed 19 points in the half and held Evansville's bench to only three points.
Xavier grabbed 24 rebounds in the first half, including seven offensive rebounds that resulted in seven second-chance points scored by the Musketeers.
Goodin scored 13 of 15 and 11 straight points for Xavier in three minutes to give Xavier a 10-point lead with nine minutes left to play in the half.
Paul Scruggs added 10 points for the Musketeers, shooting 57 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Naji Marshall and Tyrique Jones combined to grab 16 of Xavier's 24 rebound in the half and contributed 14 of Xavier's 49 points scored.
Xavier ended the half with a 49-45 lead after leading Evansville by as many as 15 points.

SECOND HALF

The Musketeers shot 14-for-29, 48.3 percent from the field and scored 20 points in the paint.
Scruggs led the way in scoring for the Musketeers in the second half with 14 points. Scruggs shot 50 percent from the field and went 2-for-3 on three-point attempts.
Xavier capitalized on 20 second-chance points and scored eight points off of Evansville turnovers.
Jones pulled down 12 rebounds in the half, including five offensive rebounds and added 11 points for the Musketeers on 4-of-6 shooting from the field.
Jones scored 7-of-9 points for the Musketeers over a four-minute span to close out the contest and drew a crucial offensive foul with 22.9 seconds left to give Xavier possession and secure the win.
Zach Hankins scored nine points for Xavier in the half and shot 75 percent from the field.
Goodin finished the night with 14 points and three assists before being disqualified from the contest early in the half.

NOTABLES

Jones recorded his first double-double of the 2018-19 season and the second of his career.
Jones tied his career high in scoring with 19 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds.
Scruggs scored a career-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field.
Xavier finished the contest with a field goal percentage of 51 percent, shooting 32-for-62 from the floor with 10 made three-pointers.
The Musketeers grabbed 19 offensive rebounds in the game and held the Purple Aces to just three.
Evansville made 17 three-pointers in the contest, the most ever given up in a single game by Xavier in program history.
Jones' 20 rebounds are the most rebounds recorded in a single game by a Xavier player since David West did so in 2001.
Xavier has now won 40 straight non-conference home games.

UP NEXT

Xavier returns to action at Cintas Center on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. to face Wisconsin in the annual Gavitt Games. The Musketeers and the Badgers will be televised on FS1.

PHOTOS

Men's Basketball vs. Evansville by Xavier Musketeers on Exposure