Kunkel's Buzzer Beater Lifts Xavier Over Marquette in BIG EAST Opener

Sunday, December 20

Cincinnati, Ohio

2 p.m.

Xavier University

8-0,1-0Big East

Marquette

5-4,1-2Big East

Marquette

Xavier

Kunkel's Buzzer Beater Lifts Xavier Over Marquette in BIG EAST Opener

12.20.20 | Men's Basketball

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Musketeers top Golden Eagles, 91-88; move to 8-0 on the year

By: Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Junior Adam Kunkel drained the game-winning three pointer as time expired on Sunday afternoon, leading the Xavier men's basketball team to a 91-88 BIG EAST opening win over Marquette at Cintas Center. The Musketeers moved to 8-0 (1-0 BIG EAST), while the Golden Eagles dropped to 5-4 (1-2 BIG EAST).

FIRST HALF

• Marquette hit 65 percent (11-for-17) of its shot attempts to start the game, taking its largest lead of the half (24-15) at the 8:40 mark. Xavier battled back by using a 16-5 run on 6-for-11 shooting to regain the lead, 31-29. Paul Scruggs capped the run at the 2:24 mark with a three pointer as the senior guard scored 13 of the team's 16 points during the run.

• Marquette closed the half on a 5-2 run on 2-for-2 shooting to take a one-point advantage (34-33) into the locker room.

• Paul Scruggs paced the Musketeers in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting with four 3-pointers. He added two rebounds and an assist.

• Colby Jones and Nate Johnson both chipped in six points at the break. Xavier held a 20-12 advantage on the glass with Zach Freemantle pacing the Musketeers with five rebounds.

SECOND HALF

• The first 10 and half minutes of the second stanza had 12 lead changes and seven ties. Trailing 65-63 at the 9:02 mark, the Musketeers used a 15-5 run capped by a Jason Carter three pointer to take their largest lead of the game, 78-70.

• Xavier hit 83.3 percent (15-for-18) of its shot attempts through the first 16 minutes of the half.

• Marquette responded with a 6-2 run to close within four points (80-76) at the final media timeout (3:50). The Musketeers led by as many as six points (86-80) at the 1:29 mark before the Golden Eagles went on an 8-2 run capped by a Koby McEwen four-point play with 25 seconds left in regulation.

• With four seconds on the clock, Adam Kunkel got an offensive rebound off a Paul Scruggs missed layup attempt. Kunkel did a step-back three pointer following the rebound to give the Musketeers the win as time expired.

• Xavier hit 69.2 percent (18-for-26) of its shot attempts in the second half and was 7-for-10 from behind the arc.

NOTABLES

• Senior Paul Scruggs led three Musketeers in double figures with a game-high 29 points. The guard was 11-for-19 from the floor with five three pointers, six assists, four rebounds and three steals.

• Junior Adam Kunkel added 22 points on 7-for-9 shooting. He hit two 3-pointers and was 6-for-6 form the foul line. The guard added two steals and two rebounds in 17 minutes of action off the bench.

• Nate Johnson chipped in 14 points with four 3-pointers. The senior guard added five rebounds.

• Sophomore Zach Freemantle added nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. Freshman Colby Jones chipped in six points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds in his first career start.

• Xavier won the battle on the glass, 31-26, and scored eight more points off of turnovers (19-11). The Musketeers also had nine more steals (10-1) than the Golden Eagles.

• Xavier finished the game with a .536 field-goal percentage (30-for-56) and a .542 three-point field-goal percentage (13-for-24).

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