Scruggs, Hankins Post 20-Point Performances as Musketeers Fall to Seton Hall

Wednesday, January 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

9-6, 1-1BE

Seton Hall

11-3, 2-0BE

Seton Hall

Xavier

Scruggs, Hankins Post 20-Point Performances as Musketeers Fall to Seton Hall

01.02.19 | Men's Basketball

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

Hankins set new career-high with 20 points

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – A late run for Seton Hall erased a 10-point second half lead for Xavier, giving the Musketeers their first conference setback of the season as Xavier fell, 80-70, to the Pirates at Cintas Center. Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 22 points and Zach Hankins added a Xavier-high 20 points after scoring 18 points in the first half as Xavier moved to 9-6 on the season and 1-1 in BIG EAST play.

FIRST HALF

Eight early points from Zach Hankins helped the Musketeer push out to a 15-10 lead in the first in the first five minutes of the game.
Xavier extended its lead to as many as six, 19-13, before a five-point run cut the lead back to one, 19-18, with just over 12 minutes remaining in the half.
Xavier held onto a narrow lead until the 4:58 mark, when Seton Hall took a one-point, 31-30 lead.
After falling behind for the first time since the opening minute, Xavier answered with 10 straight points to take its largest lead of the half, 40-31, with two minutes remaining until halftime.
SHU closed the half on a 5-2 run to set the score at the break at 42-38 in favor of the Musketeers.
Hankins opened the game shooting 7-of-7 from the floor, finishing the half at 9-of-11 from the floor, for a game-high 18 points, topping his previous Xavier high of 15, set against San Diego State, in just one half.
Paul Scruggs added 10 points in the first half.
Xavier owned a 16-11 advantage on the boards, led by four for Hankins. Xavier had a 7-3 advantage on the offensive glass and out-scored the Pirates 8-0 on second-chance points.
The Musketeers outscored Seton Hall 28-18 on points in the paint, but the Pirates shot 5-of-9, 55.6 percent, from three while the Musketeers connected on 1-of-7 shots from outside.

SECOND HALF

SHU cut the lead to two, 42-40 to open the second half, with the Pirates hanging within two possessions for the first four minutes of the half.
A 10-2 run over the next four minutes helped Xavier build its lead out to as many as 10, 56-46, in the first eight minutes of the half.
Paul Scruggs had eight points in the first eight minutes of the half to help Xavier build its first double digit lead.
After Xavier built the 10-point lead, SHU outscored the Musketeers 11-2 over the next four minutes to cut the advantage back to one, 58-57.
Xavier built its lead back out to as many as four, but an 8-2 run for Seton Hall, featuring six points from Myles Cale, gave the Pirates their first lead of the second half, 65-63, with just under five minutes remaining.
The two teams traded baskets over the next two minutes before SHU closed the game on a 12-2 run to take the 80-70 win.
Scruggs finished with 12 points in the second half on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 shooting from outside.
Both teams grabbed 19 rebounds, with Naji Marshall's four second-half boards leading Xavier.
Seton Hall outscored the Musketeers, 11-2, on turnovers in the second period.
Xavier shot 3-of-8 from outside to 2-of-11 for the Pirates, but SHU outscored the Musketeers 26-10 on points in the paint.

NOTABLES

Paul Scruggs led the Musketeers with 22 points, shooting 50 percent from the floor.
Zach Hankins finished with a new Xavier-best mark of 20 points, shooting 10-13 from the floor.
Hankins' 18 points in the first half were the first by an XU player since Ryan Welage scored 24 points in the second half against IUPUI earlier this year. It was the most points in the first half since J.P. Macura scored 18 against Texas Southern in the NCAA First Round last season.
Quentin Goodin added 11 for the Musketeers, grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists.
Naji Marshall led the Musketeers with seven boards as Xavier won the overall rebounding battle, 35-30.