Annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout Is Saturday At UC

Saturday, December 8

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 p.m.

Xavier University

Cincinnati

Annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout Is Saturday At UC

12.06.18 | Men's Basketball

Xavier Game Notes vs. UC

Musketeers are looking for their fifth win in six years vs. the Bearcats.

By: Tom Eiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI --- The Xavier Musketeers and Cincinnati Bearcats meet in the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout on Saturday at UC's Fifth Third Arena. Cincinnati leads the series 50-35 but Xavier has won four of the last five meetings and eight of the last 11. Going further, XU has won 13 of the last 19 meetings.

Xavier, 6-3, led Ohio 56-54 with 10:47 left in the game on Wednesday at Cintas Center. The Musketeers dominated the remainder of the game 26-7 and rolled to a 21-point victory, 82-61, XU's fourth straight win. Cincinnati, 8-1, has won eight straight games since losing its opener to Ohio State at Fifth Third Arena.

Last season then-No. 21-Xavier recorded an 89-76 win over then-No. 11 Cincinnati on Dec. 2, 2017 in front of a Cintas Center record standing-room only sellout crowd of 10,817 fans. Cincinnati holds an 8-5 advantage in games played at the Fifth Third Arena, including an 86-78 victory in the 2016-17 season despite a 40-point game from Trevon Bluiett. XU last won a meeting on UC's home court in the 2014-15 season. Arguably the most memorable Xavier victory ever in the series was a 71-69 XU win over then No. 1 UC on Lenny Brown's last second shot on Nov. 26, 1996 at UC.

Xavier first-year head coach Travis Steele is no stranger to the Crosstown Shootout but this is his first one as the Xavier head coach. Steele was on the Xavier staff for the last 10 Crosstown Shootouts, helping XU compile a 7-3 record vs. its crosstown rival.

THE MATCHUP

Xavier University Musketeers (6-3, 0-0 BIG EAST)
at University of Cincinnati Bearcats (8-1, 0-0 AAC)
SKYLINE CHILI CROSSTOWN SHOOTOUT
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Arena (12,012) in Cincinnati

TV, RADIO AND LIVE STATS

Television: ESPN2 with play-by-play from Jason Benetti and analysis from Dan Dakich.
Xavier Radio: 55KRC-AM, including via iHeart Radio, TuneIn and Sirius XM (380) and Internet (971), with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman ('79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin ('88).
Live Stats: Media stats at Statbroadcast.com. Fan stats at GoXavier.com.

X FACTORS

• Xavier and Cincinnati are meeting for the 86th time. UC leads the series 50-35, although XU has won four of the last five games, including 89-76 last season at XU.
• Xavier has won eight of the last 11 and 13 of the last 19 games vs. Cincinnati.
• Xavier, 6-3, won its fourth straight game with an 82-61 win over Ohio on Dec. 5. Sophomore Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 21 points (8-of-9 shooting) to go with career highs of eight assists and four steals.
• Xavier junior Quentin Goodin is third on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg.) and leads the team in assists (sixth in the BIG EAST at 4.3 apg.).
• Xavier sophomore Naji Marshall leads the team in scoring (13.6 ppg.) and is second in rebounding (10th in the BIG EAST at 7.0 rpg.).
• Xavier's Paul Scruggs is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 ppg. and assists at 3.9 apg. (seventh in the BIG EAST) to go with with 4.8 rebounds and a team-high 1.8 steals (second in the BIG EAST) per game.
• Xavier junior Tyrique Jones is second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (8.7 rpg.) and is sixth in field goal percentage (.621), while ranking first in offensive rebounding (3.9 rpg.).
• Xavier graduate transfer Zach Hankins is ranked second in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.739) and seventh in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.2 bpg.).
• Xavier placed six players in double figures in scoring vs. Oakland and has four players averaging in double figures in scoring through nine games with a fifth at 9.7 ppg.
• Xavier won its first BIG EAST Conference Regular Season Championship last
season. XU played in its fifth straight NCAA Tournament and its 12th in 13 years.
• Xavier has graduated 109 straight men's basketball seniors dating back to the 1985-86 school year.

VIDEO: HANKINS AND WELAGE