Career Night for Naji Marshall helps the Musketeers hold off Seton Hall

Wednesday, February 20

South Orange, N.J.

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Seton Hall

Xavier

Seton Hall

Career Night for Naji Marshall helps the Musketeers hold off Seton Hall

02.20.19 | Men's Basketball

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Marshall finishes with 28 points to help Xavier to third-straight win

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

NEWARK, N.J. - A career night for Naji Marshall helped the Musketeers hold off a late Pirate run to take the 70-69 win at the Prudential Center on Wednesday night. The win, Xavier's third straight, moves Xavier to 14-13 overall and 6-8 in BIG EAST play.

Marshall finished with 28 points, leading three Musketeers in double figures, as SHU erased a 16 point Xavier lead in the final six minute to pull within one in the finals seconds. Tyrique Jones posted a double-double and Zach Hankins added 10 points.

FIRST HALF

Xavier opened up with a 6-0 lead, using Tyrique Jones and Zach Hankins down low. Jones scored eight of Xavier's first 10 points.
Seton Hall pulled back to into a tie, 10-10, with just over four minutes gone from the game, with Xavier pushing out to as much as a four point lead over the next four minutes before tying the game again at 18-all with 11 minute before halftime.
Xavier outscored the Pirates 11-4 over the next three minutes to take the largest lead of the first half at seven, 29-22, with eight minutes remaining. Naji Marshall scored five points in that stretch.
Seton Hall responded with a 10-2 run to take its first lead, 32-31, with five minutes remaining before halftime.
SHU led by as many as three, before six points for Marshall fueled a 13-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 46-36, into the final 30 seconds of the half.
SHU hit a basket in the final seconds of the half to set the score at 46-38 in favor of the Musketeers.
Jones finished the half with 18 points, shooting 7-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Jones also grabbed a game-high 10 boards in the first half.
Marshall added 15 points in the first half.
Xavier owned a 22-12 advantage on the boards, including an 8-5 advantage on the offensive glass for a 13-6 advantage on second-chance points.

SECOND HALF

Seton Hall opened up the second half with a 9-3 run to pull within tow, 49-47, with 13 minutes remaining in the half.
After trading possessions to go into the final 11 at a two-point game, Xavier outscored Seton Hall 17-3 over the next five minutes, with 13 points from Naji Marshall, including three three pointers. The run pushed Xavier's lead out to as many as 16, 68-52, with 6:23 remaining.
After Xavier took the largest lead by either team at 16, SHU scored 11 straight to cut the lead back to five, 68-63, with just over three minutes to play.
The 11-straight points turned into a 17-2 run to cut the Xavier lead back to one, 70-69, in the final 50 seconds.
After a Xavier missed free throw, Seton Hall had the ball with 20 seconds to play. A three by the Pirates in the final seconds secure the one point 70-69 win for the Musketeers.
Marshall scored 13 points in the second half on the way to a career-best outing.
Xavier connected on 40 percent of its shots, including 4-of-9 from outside, compared to 32 percent for the Pirates.
SHU owned a 23-19 advantage on the boards. Tyrique Jones grabbed five in the second half to lead Xavier.
Xavier had 10 second half turnovers, including three during SHU's late run, to just four, but limited the damage, only allowing six points off miscues.

NOTABLES

Naji Marshall set a new career-high of 28 points on a career-most 23 field goal attempts to lead all scorers. His previous career-high in points, 24, was set earlier this season against Wisconsin. His previous career-high field goal attempts, 22, was set last week against Creighton.
Tyrique Jones finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season.
Zach Hankins finished with 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Xavier shot nearly 48 percent from the floor for the game, including 7-of-19 on threes.
The Musketeers assists on 18 of 27 made field goals, led by five for Marshall.
Xavier owned a 41-35 advantage on the boards, led by Jones' 15.