MBB Minute – On a night featuring four of the top-five teams in the BIG EAST Standings, Xavier and Marquette emerged victorious from Wednesday’s pair of slugfests.
In a masterclass of offensive firepower, No. 12 Xavier (14-3, 6-0 BIG EAST) outlasted Creighton, 90-87, to remain perfect in BIG EAST play. Both the Musketeers (34-of-68) and Bluejays (32-of-64) shot 50-percent from the field and over 40-percent from beyond the arc, resulting in a contest that featured 13 ties and five lead changes. Trailing 70-64 with 8:55 left in the game, the Musketeers went on a 16-3 run to take a seven-point lead (80-73) they would not relinquish. After the Bluejays pulled back within one (88-87) with two seconds on the clock, Xavier’s Souley Boum sank two free-throws to secure the three-point victory. Overall, Boum led all scorers with 26 points, eight assists and zero turnovers, while Colby Jones registered 20 points in the win. Jack Nunge also played a key role with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass. Five Bluejays (9-8, 3-3) reached double figures, led by Baylor Scheierman’s 25-point outing.
No. 25 Marquette (14-4, 6-1) picked up its second top-10 win of the season, earning a hard-fought 82-76 victory over sixth-ranked Connecticut (15-3, 4-3) at the Fiserv Forum. Midway through the opening half, the Golden Eagles responded to a 16-0 Huskies run, with their own 11-1 run to pull back within a point, 32-31, with under two minutes to play in the frame. After trailing 40-33 a minute into the second half, the Golden Eagles outscored UConn 49-36 over the final 18:37 of action to secure the win. Marquette was led by the junior forward duo of Oso Ighodaro and Olivier-Maxence Prosper. Ighodaro contributed a season-best 19 points and three boards, while Prosper pitched in 17 points and six rebounds. The Huskies were paced by Donovan Clingan’s 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. The win snapped a four-game UConn winning streak in the series and marked the first win for Marquette since Jan. 1, 2013.
The BIG EAST schedule goes dark Thursday night in preparation for a five-game slate over a three-day weekend that tips off Friday between Villanova and Butler. The Bulldogs will host the Wildcats at Hinkle Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. ET on FS1.