No. 21 Xavier Closes Four-Game Homestand with 59-56 Win Over Missouri State

Friday, November 15

Cincinnati, Ohio

7:00 PM

Xavier University

Missouri State

No. 21 Xavier Closes Four-Game Homestand with 59-56 Win Over Missouri State

11.15.19 | Men's Basketball

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Three Musketeers score in double figures as Xavier wins fourth-straight game

By: Brandon Eckman, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's basketball defeated Missouri State, 59-56, on Friday in the final game of a four-game home stand at Cintas Center. Tyrique Jones scored a team-high 15 points in 27 minutes of play. Paul Scruggs and Naji Marshall also added double-figure scoring in the Musketeers' fourth-straight win to start the season.

FIRST HALF

Xavier opened the game with a three-point play courtesy of Tyrique Jones after he was fouled on a made layup and drained a free-throw. On the next possession, after forcing a Missouri State turnover, Quentin Goodin drained a three-pointer to give the Musketeers an early 6-0 lead with 18:30 left to play.
With 15:25 left to play, Paul Scruggs connected on a coast-to-coast layup after a block by Jones on the defensive end to give Xavier a 10-0 lead.
The Musketeers shot 8-of-14, 57 percent, from the floor in the first 12:00 of the game and scored 11 points off opponent turnovers in that time.
Jones split a double-team under the basket and finished with a dunk to give the Musketeers a 24-15 lead with 7:25 left to play in the half. Two possessions later, Jones finished with another dunk down low to give the Musketeers an eight-point lead.
With 4:20 left to play, the Musketeers split Missouri State's full-court press and connected on a corner three-pointer from Scruggs off an assist from Jason Carter to give Xavier a 29-23 lead.
Jones led the way for Xavier in the half with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor. He also added a blocked shot in 13 minutes of play.
Scruggs added seven points for the Musketeers, shooting 50 percent from the field and connecting on one three-pointer. Scruggs also dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds in 18 minutes of play.
Xavier forced the Bears to turn the ball over 12 times in the half, five of which were steals. They scored 14 points off Missouri State giveaways in the half.
Xavier went into the locker room at halftime with a 32-30 lead over the Bears after leading by as many as 11 points in the half. Six different Musketeers scored in the half.

SECOND HALF

Xavier's first bucket of the half came off a made layup from Naji Marshall after he picked up a loose ball under the basket with 18:15 left to play in the game. On the next possession, Tyrique Jones connected on a hook shot over a Missouri State defender to make the score 36-33 in favor of the Musketeers.
With 13:00 left to play, Quentin Goodin connected his second three-pointer of the game from straight away off an assist from Scruggs to give Xavier a 44-40 lead. One minute later, Marshall made a fast break layup after grabbing a defensive rebound to give the Musketeers a six-point lead.
Xavier and Missouri State traded baskets throughout much of the half, despite the Musketeers forcing 10 turnovers. Xavier scored 11 points off those turnovers.
With 4:00 left to play, Jones gave Xavier a 56-50 lead following a second chance put-back dunk off a missed layup from Marshall. Missouri State then scored on two-straight possessions to cut the Musketeer lead to two points with 2:55 left in the game.
The Bears tied the game at 56 after a fast-break dunk from Gaige Prim with 1:30 left in the second half. Two possessions later, Jones grabbed an offensive rebound off his own missed shot and passed it out to Paul Scruggs. Scruggs then scored on a driving layup to give the Musketeers a 59-56 lead with 0:11 left to play.
With time running out, Missouri State missed a three-pointer from straight away and tracked down the long rebound in the left corner. Tyrik Dixon attempted an off-balance three-pointer as time expired but missed, securing Xavier's 59-56 victory over the Bears.
Scruggs led the way in scoring for the Musketeers in the second half with seven points, shooting 75 percent from the floor. He also brought down one rebound and recorded one assist.
Jones and Marshall both added six points for Xavier in the half. Jones did so shooting 50 percent from the floor and grabbed six rebounds, three of which were offensive boards.
The Musketeers outscored Missouri State 27-26 in the half and scored 16 points in the paint. Xavier also scored seven second-chance points and 11 off turnovers.

NOTABLE

Senior Tyrique Jones led the way in scoring for the Musketeers with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in 27 minutes of play. Jones grabbed six rebounds and had one blocked shot in the game.
Paul Scruggs, who was named 2019-20 preseason honorable mention All-BIG EAST, scored 14 points for the Musketeers on 5-of-8 shooting. Scruggs connected on two three-pointers and dished out five assists in 37 minutes of play.
Naji Marshall and Jason Carter combined for six steals in the game and each played over 30 minutes in the contest. Scruggs and Bryce Moore both added two more steals for the Musketeers, who forced 10 total in the game.
The Musketeers shot 42 percent from the floor and connected on five three-pointers in the game. They scored 10 second-chance points and 10 points off the bench.
Xavier scored 25 of their 59 points off opponent turnovers.
Xavier out-rebounded Missouri State 29-27 and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds in the game. The Musketeers gave up only five offensive rebounds in the game.

UP NEXT

Xavier will return to action on Thursday, Nov. 21 to take on Towson as part of the annual Charleston Classic. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Charleston, South Carolina.

HIGHLIGHTS