Boum, Nunge Lead Xavier Over West Virginia in BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle
12.03.22 | Men's Basketball
The Musketeers topped the Mountaineers, 84-74, on Saturday night at Cintas Center
CINCINNATI - Souley Boum and Jack Nunge combined for 40 points and 18 rebounds on Saturday night, leading the Musketeers to an 84-74 win over West Virginia in the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Xavier improved to 6-3 on the year, while West Virginia dropped to 6-2.
Xavier opened the game by scoring four unanswered points before West Virginia went on an 11-2 run, taking an 11-6 lead at the 16:53 mark. The Mountaineers led by as many as 11 points (41-30) with 2:42 left in the first half before the Musketeers closed within seven points (43-36) at the break.
The Musketeers hit seven of their first nine shots coming out of the locker room, outscoring the Mountaineers, 20-12, to regain the lead (56-55) at the 12:53 mark. The remainder of the game had two ties and four lead changes with the final tie at 70-70 with 5:41 left in regulation.
Xavier finished the game on a 14-4 run to pull away for the 10-point victory. Xavier was 2-for-3 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the foul line during the run.
The Musketeers hit 62.5 percent (15-for-24) of their second-half shot attempts to engineer the come-from-behind victory. Defensively, Xavier limited the Mountaineers to a .387 (12-for-31) field-goal percentage in the second half.
• Souley Boum matched his season high in scoring with 23 points (was also the game high vs West Virginia). The guard was 5-for-8 from the floor and 11-for-14 from the foul line. He added a season-high seven assists to go along with four rebounds. Boum has now scored 20 or more points in a game four times this season.
• Jack Nunge posted his first double-double of the season and the seventh of his career, posting 17 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. The forward was 7-for-9 from the floor with a three pointer. He also had two blocks and two steals.
• Colby Jones added 14 points, four assists and three rebounds. Adam Kunkel chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
• Xavier finished the game with a .538 field-goal percentage (28-for-52), the team's seventh game of the season shooting over 50 percent from the floor. The Musketeers were also 5-for-12 from behind the arc and 23-for-30 from the foul line.
• Xavier held a 17-9 advantage in points off of turnovers and scored eight more second-chance points (14-6). The Musketeers also won the battle on the glass, 34-28.
• Xavier scored 10 more points in the paint (42-32) and held a 14-13 advantage in fastbreak points.
• The Musketeers return to action at Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. from Fifth Third Arena. The game will be aired nationally on ESPN2.
Men's Basketball vs. West Virginia by Xavier Musketeers on Exposure
Xavier opened the game by scoring four unanswered points before West Virginia went on an 11-2 run, taking an 11-6 lead at the 16:53 mark. The Mountaineers led by as many as 11 points (41-30) with 2:42 left in the first half before the Musketeers closed within seven points (43-36) at the break.
The Musketeers hit seven of their first nine shots coming out of the locker room, outscoring the Mountaineers, 20-12, to regain the lead (56-55) at the 12:53 mark. The remainder of the game had two ties and four lead changes with the final tie at 70-70 with 5:41 left in regulation.
Xavier finished the game on a 14-4 run to pull away for the 10-point victory. Xavier was 2-for-3 from the floor and 9-for-12 from the foul line during the run.
The Musketeers hit 62.5 percent (15-for-24) of their second-half shot attempts to engineer the come-from-behind victory. Defensively, Xavier limited the Mountaineers to a .387 (12-for-31) field-goal percentage in the second half.
![]() |
NOTABLES |
• Souley Boum matched his season high in scoring with 23 points (was also the game high vs West Virginia). The guard was 5-for-8 from the floor and 11-for-14 from the foul line. He added a season-high seven assists to go along with four rebounds. Boum has now scored 20 or more points in a game four times this season.
• Jack Nunge posted his first double-double of the season and the seventh of his career, posting 17 points and a season-high 14 rebounds. The forward was 7-for-9 from the floor with a three pointer. He also had two blocks and two steals.
• Colby Jones added 14 points, four assists and three rebounds. Adam Kunkel chipped in 11 points, four rebounds and three assists.
• Xavier finished the game with a .538 field-goal percentage (28-for-52), the team's seventh game of the season shooting over 50 percent from the floor. The Musketeers were also 5-for-12 from behind the arc and 23-for-30 from the foul line.
• Xavier held a 17-9 advantage in points off of turnovers and scored eight more second-chance points (14-6). The Musketeers also won the battle on the glass, 34-28.
• Xavier scored 10 more points in the paint (42-32) and held a 14-13 advantage in fastbreak points.
![]() |
UP NEXT |
• The Musketeers return to action at Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. from Fifth Third Arena. The game will be aired nationally on ESPN2.
![]() |
HIGHLIGHTS |
![]() |
PRESS CONFERENCE |
![]() |
PHOTOS |
Men's Basketball vs. West Virginia by Xavier Musketeers on Exposure
Team Stats
WVU
XU
FG%
.458
.538
3FG%
.474
.417
FT%
.733
.767
RB
28
34
TO
12
15
STL
6
3
Game Leaders
Scoring
Players Mentioned
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Pape N’Diaye
Thursday, August 21
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Malik Messina-Moore
Tuesday, August 19
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Filip Borovicanin
Thursday, August 14
2025-26 Meet the Musketeers: Kason Westphal
Tuesday, August 12