Scruggs, Freemantle Lead Musketeers to Senior Day Win Over No. 11 Creighton

Saturday, February 27

Cincinnati, Ohio

5:00 p.m.

Xavier University

13-5,6-5Big East

Creighton

17-6,13-5Big East

Creighton

Xavier

Scruggs, Freemantle Lead Musketeers to Senior Day Win Over No. 11 Creighton

02.27.21 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Senior Paul Scruggs posted 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists on Saturday evening

By: Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Senior Paul Scruggs and sophomore Zach Freemantle combined for 40 points, 17 rebounds and eight assists on Saturday evening, leading the Musketeers to a 77-69 win over No. 11 Creighton on Senior Day.

The Musketeers improved to 13-5 (6-5 BIG EAST), while the Bluejays dropped to 17-6 (13-5 BIG EAST).

FIRST HALF

• The opening 11 minutes had four lead changes with neither team leading by more than two possessions. Creighton led by four points (15-11) at the 12:18 mark before the Musketeers went on an 11-1 run capped by a C.J. Wilcher three pointer, giving Xavier a 22-16 lead and forcing a Bluejays timeout.

• Creighton responded with a 9-3 run to tie the game at 25-25 with 4:05 on the clock. The two teams each scored six points over the next three and a half minutes before Zach Freemantle hit a shot with 32 seconds left in the half, giving the Musketeers a two-point lead (33-31) going into the break.

• Xavier held a 19-16 advantage on the glass at the break and scored one more point off of turnovers (5-4).

• Paul Scruggs led the Musketeers in scoring with 11 points, while Zach Freemantle chipped in nine points and a team-high five rebounds.

SECOND HALF

• After Creighton hit the opening basket of the second half to tie the game, the Musketeers went on a 10-0 run capped by a Paul Scruggs three pointer - giving Xavier its first double-figure lead (43-33) of the game at the 15:12 mark.

• Xavier led by as many as 13 points (67-54) with 5:48 left in regulation before Creighton scored nine unanswered points, closing within four points (67-63) and forcing a Xavier timeout (3:38). The Musketeers outscored Creighton, 10-6, down the stretch on 4-for-6 shooting - pulling away for the 77-69 victory. Dwon Odom and Adam Kunkel both scored four points in the final four minutes of the game.

• The Musketeers hit 63.3 percent (19-for-30) of their shot attempts in the second half and went 4-for-10 from behind the arc. Paul Scruggs scored 12 of his 23 points in the second half on 5-for-5 shooting.

NOTABLES

• Senior Paul Scruggs scored a game-high 23 points on 9-for-13 shooting, his sixth game of the season with 20 or more points. He added seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

• Sophomore Zach Freemantle posted his fifth straight double-double, scoring 17 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. He was 7-for-12 from the floor and 1-for-3 from behind the arc. The forward added three assists and one block.

• Freshman Dwon Odom scored a season-high 12 points on 6-for-10 shooting to go along with four assists and three rebounds. Adam Kunkel added 12 points on 4-for-9 shooting.

• Xavier won the battle on the glass, 36-32, and scored three more points off of turnovers (12-9). The Musketeers also had four more blocks (9-5). The nine blocks are tied for the second-most in a game for the Musketeers this season.

• Xavier hit 54.2 percent (32-for-59) of its shot attempts, its fourth-highest mark in a game this season.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Tuesday, March 2 at Georgetown. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. with the game being aired nationally on FS1.

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