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03-01-2018, 10:33 AM
CINCINNATI â No. 3/4 Xavier celebrated senior day by clinching a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the first time since joining the conference in 2013. Trevon Bluiett led four Musketeers in double figure in a game in which Xavier never trailed. The Musketeers moved to 26-4 overall and 14-3 in BIG EAST play with one game remaining in the regular season, maintaining the lead over second-place Villanova at 12-4.
Prior to the game, Xavier celebrated five senior basketball players, Trevon Bluiett, Kerem Kanter, J.P. Macura, Seaon O'Mara and Matt Singleton.
FIRST HALF
Xavier opened with an early 7-2 lead, featuring five points from Trevon Bluiett, going into the first break at the 15:38 mark.
Providence would get as close as three over the next two minutes, but four points for Kerem Kanter started an 8-0 run for the Musketeers, to give Xavier a 21-8 lead with 11:23 remaining before the break.
After Xavier built a 13-point lead, its largest of the first half, PC responded with an 7-0 run of its own to cut the lead down to six, 21-15, with nine minutes left in the half
The Musketeers maintained a two-to-three possession lead over the next five minutes, going into the final three and a half minutes with a 12-point lead, 36-24.
Over the final 3:15, PC outscored Xavier 13-4 to cut the Musketeer advantage to three, 40-37, at the break.
Quentin Goodin and Trevon Bluiett each scored 11 points to lead the Musketeers.
Xavier shot 42.4 percent from the floor in the first half while Providence shot 65.2 percent from the floor after connecting on 12 of the last 14 attempts from the floor.
Xavier owned an 18-11 advantage on the boards, including a 12-3 advantage on the offensive boards. Sean O'Mara led the way with four rebounds.
PC committed 11 turnovers to five miscues for the Musketeers, allowing Xavier to outscore the Friars 15-9 on second chance points.
SECOND HALF
A Providence bucket in the opening seconds of the second half cut the Xavier lead to one before Xavier scored 10 straight to extend the lead back out to 11, 50-39, less than three minutes into the half.
Xavier connected on eight of its first nine attempts in the second half to maintain the three-possession lead going into the last 10 minutes of the game.
Xavier held a 10-point lead, 65-55, with 7:32 remaining when four straight points for PC cut the lead down to six, the closest the Friars had been since the opening minutes of the second half.
A Naji Marshall three pointer stopped the Friar run and Bluiett connected on a three to help push the lead back out to 10.
The Friars would get as close as six with three minutes remaining, but the Musketeers went 11-of-12 from the free throw link to help extend the lead out to as many as 14 before winning by a final score of 84-74.
Bluiett scored 12 in the second half on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor, including going 2-of-2 from three, and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Xavier shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half, including going 3-of-4 from outside.
J.P. Macura's four free rebounds led the Musketeers as they out rebounded the Friars, 16-14, in the second period.
NOTABLES
The win over Providence moves the Musketeers to 14-3 in BIG EAST play, securing at least a share of the regular season BIG EAST Championship, the first conference title since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season, and the first for the program since winning the Atlantic 10 regular season title in 2010-11.
The Musketeers can clinch the title out-right, as well as the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament with a win over DePaul on Saturday.
Trevon Bluiett led the Musketeers with 23 points and six rebounds against the Friars.
Quentin Goodin finished with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor.
Seniors Sean O'Mara and Kerem Kanter each finished with 10 points.
O'Mara matched Bluiett for team-high in rebounds with six as Xavier outrebounded the Friars, 34-25.
Xavier never trailed in the game, leading for over 38 minutes.
http://goxavier.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball
Prior to the game, Xavier celebrated five senior basketball players, Trevon Bluiett, Kerem Kanter, J.P. Macura, Seaon O'Mara and Matt Singleton.
FIRST HALF
Xavier opened with an early 7-2 lead, featuring five points from Trevon Bluiett, going into the first break at the 15:38 mark.
Providence would get as close as three over the next two minutes, but four points for Kerem Kanter started an 8-0 run for the Musketeers, to give Xavier a 21-8 lead with 11:23 remaining before the break.
After Xavier built a 13-point lead, its largest of the first half, PC responded with an 7-0 run of its own to cut the lead down to six, 21-15, with nine minutes left in the half
The Musketeers maintained a two-to-three possession lead over the next five minutes, going into the final three and a half minutes with a 12-point lead, 36-24.
Over the final 3:15, PC outscored Xavier 13-4 to cut the Musketeer advantage to three, 40-37, at the break.
Quentin Goodin and Trevon Bluiett each scored 11 points to lead the Musketeers.
Xavier shot 42.4 percent from the floor in the first half while Providence shot 65.2 percent from the floor after connecting on 12 of the last 14 attempts from the floor.
Xavier owned an 18-11 advantage on the boards, including a 12-3 advantage on the offensive boards. Sean O'Mara led the way with four rebounds.
PC committed 11 turnovers to five miscues for the Musketeers, allowing Xavier to outscore the Friars 15-9 on second chance points.
SECOND HALF
A Providence bucket in the opening seconds of the second half cut the Xavier lead to one before Xavier scored 10 straight to extend the lead back out to 11, 50-39, less than three minutes into the half.
Xavier connected on eight of its first nine attempts in the second half to maintain the three-possession lead going into the last 10 minutes of the game.
Xavier held a 10-point lead, 65-55, with 7:32 remaining when four straight points for PC cut the lead down to six, the closest the Friars had been since the opening minutes of the second half.
A Naji Marshall three pointer stopped the Friar run and Bluiett connected on a three to help push the lead back out to 10.
The Friars would get as close as six with three minutes remaining, but the Musketeers went 11-of-12 from the free throw link to help extend the lead out to as many as 14 before winning by a final score of 84-74.
Bluiett scored 12 in the second half on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor, including going 2-of-2 from three, and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Xavier shot 60 percent from the floor in the second half, including going 3-of-4 from outside.
J.P. Macura's four free rebounds led the Musketeers as they out rebounded the Friars, 16-14, in the second period.
NOTABLES
The win over Providence moves the Musketeers to 14-3 in BIG EAST play, securing at least a share of the regular season BIG EAST Championship, the first conference title since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season, and the first for the program since winning the Atlantic 10 regular season title in 2010-11.
The Musketeers can clinch the title out-right, as well as the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament with a win over DePaul on Saturday.
Trevon Bluiett led the Musketeers with 23 points and six rebounds against the Friars.
Quentin Goodin finished with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor.
Seniors Sean O'Mara and Kerem Kanter each finished with 10 points.
O'Mara matched Bluiett for team-high in rebounds with six as Xavier outrebounded the Friars, 34-25.
Xavier never trailed in the game, leading for over 38 minutes.
http://goxavier.com/schedule.aspx?path=mbball
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