Trevon Bluiett scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Tuesday's victory.
MBB Minute – Xavier Win Streak Reaches 10; Coach Ewing Gets First League Win
In Tuesday’s BIG EAST action, Xavier extended its winning streak to 10 games and Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing earned his first league victory.
The fifth-ranked Musketeers defeated Butler 86-79 at Cintas Center with seniors Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura leading the way. Bluiett scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Macura added 20 points. The Musketeers (15-1), atop the BIG EAST at 3-0, outscored the Bulldogs at the foul line 24-6. For the fourth straight game, Butler had two players with 20 points or more. Kamar Baldwin had 26 points and Kelan Martin finished with 25. The Bulldogs (12-4, 2-1) committed only four turnovers, but shot 7-of-27 from 3-point range.
Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing notched his first league win as the Hoyas won 90-81 at DePaul. An 11-0 run midway through the second half helped the Hoyas (11-3, 1-2) gain control. The combo of Marcus Derrickson and Jessie Govan was the difference. Derrickson had 24 points and seven rebounds while Govan posted his 10th double-double of the season with 25 points and 12 rebounds. The Blue Demons (7-8, 0-3) got a big chunk of their offense from Max Strus (19 points), Tre’Darius McCallum (18) and Marin Maric (18).
Two more games are slated for Wednesday. Marquette plays at Providence at 6:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network and St. John’s travels to Creighton for an 8 p.m. tip on FS1.
Marquette and Providence are both 1-1 in BIG EAST play. The Friars (10-5) won both meetings last year, including a 73-69 decision at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. The Golden Eagles (10-4) have the top two scorers in the league, Andrew Rowsey (22.4 ppg) and Markus Howard (20.5). Rodney Bullock leads the Friars in scoring (16.9) and rebounding (6.7). Kyron Cartwright, who has been slowed recently by ankle problems, continues to lead the BIG EAST in assists (6.3).
Creighton, 11-3 and 1-1 in BIG EAST play, will be looking to stay unbeaten at CenturyLink Center (8-0). The Bluejays are led by Marcus Foster, who is sixth in the league in scoring with a 19.0 average. St. John’s (10-4, 0-2) is led by Shamorie Ponds, who is averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists, though he missed Sunday’s loss at Seton Hall due to a leg injury. The Bluejays have won the last four meetings against the Red Storm.