Musketeers Use Big Second Half to Surge Past Golden Flashes

Friday, November 12

Cincinnati, Ohio

6:30 p.m.

Xavier University

2-0,0-0Big East

Kent State

0-1,0-0MAC

Kent St.

Xavier

Musketeers Use Big Second Half to Surge Past Golden Flashes

11.12.21 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score Photos

Paul Scruggs leads Xavier with 23, Colby Jones adds 19 for the Musketeers

By: Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier men's basketball erased a halftime deficit to take a 73-59 win over Kent State at Cintas Center on Friday evening. Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 23 points, with 14 coming in the second half, and Colby Jones added 19 to help the Musketeers move to 2-0 on the season. Kent State fell 0-1 on the season.

Jack Nunge added 11 points to be the third Musketeer in double figures, scoring eight in the second 20 minutes as Xavier put up 42 points in the second half while holding Kent State to just 23 points after the break.

FIRST HALF

Kent State took a 4-0 lead to open the game, outscoring Xavier 8-2 going into the first media timeout.
The Golden Flashes led by as many as eight before Paul Scruggs scored five-straight Xavier points to stop the KSU run.
Xavier pulled within four, 23-19, on a Colby Jones three before Kent Stat scored six straight to take a 10-point lead at 29-19 with five minutes remaining in the first half.
The Musketeers responded with an 11-3 run to pull within two, 32-30, before KSU outscored Xavier 4-1 in the final 1:30 to set the halftime score at 36-31 in favor of Kent State.
Paul Scruggs led Xavier with nine first half points and Colby Jones added seven for the Musketeers.
Xavier held a 24-18 advantage on rebounds, including 11 offensive boards for nine second change points. Jerome Hunter led the Musketeers with five first half boards.

SECOND HALF

Baskets from Jerome Hunter and Paul Scruggs gave Xavier a 5-0 run to open the second half, tying the game for the first time since the opening minutes, 36-36.
KSU stretched the lead back out to four before a basket from Scruggs and a three from Nate Johnson gave Xavier its first lead of the night, 43-42, with just under 15 minutes remaining.
The two teams traded baskets and leads going into the final 10 minutes of the game, but Xavier outscored the Golden Flashes 21-7 over the final 10, pushing the lead out 14 twice, including at the final horn, 73-59.
Paul Scruggs led Xavier with 14 second half points, and Colby Jones added 12 points, shooting 3-of-4 from the floor.
Xavier finished the second half with a 24-7 advantage on rebounds, led by five for Colby Jones.

NOTABLES

Paul Scruggs led the Musketeers with 23 points, going a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line. Scruggs grabbed seven boards.
Colby Jones finished with 19 points on 6-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. Jones also grabbed eight rebounds.
Jack Nunge scored 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor, and grabbed six rebounds.
Jerome Hunter led the Musketeers with nine rebounds and added six points for the Musketeers.
Xavier finished with a 48-29 advantage on rebounds overall and a 20-8 advantage on the offensive glass, outscoring Kent State 18-7 on second chance points.
Xavier's defense limited Kent State to just seven points over the final 10 minutes of the game.