All eight BIG EAST teams in action on Monday picked up a victory. Some of the wins were more challenging than others, but it was a clean sweep for the league’s squads.
No. 17 Marquette 102, Stony Brook 62 – MU’s Kam Jones posted his fifth career 30-point game in the comfortable win over the Seawolves. Jones scored 32 points and Chase Ross added a career-high 23 points. The Golden Eagles finished the first half with a 31-13 run.
St. John’s 92, Fordham 60 – The Johnnies opened the game with a 12-3 spurt and cruised to victory. Simeon Wilcher made 7-of-9 from the floor and tallied a team-leading 17 points. Kadary Richmond contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Xavier 78, Texas Southern 69 – Newcomer Ryan Conwell, who was a Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team pick, notched a team-high 21 points. Xavier used an 11-0 run midway in the second half to gain control. Zach Freemantle returned to the lineup after being out for a season and a half. He posted 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Villanova 75, Lafayette 63 – Newcomer Wooga Poplar, who also made the Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team, registered 20 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. Forward Enoch Boakye had 10 points and 11 boards in his Wildcat debut. Eric Dixon served a one-game suspension for participating in the Portsmouth Invitational last spring.
Butler 72, Missouri State 65 – Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 29 points, including a critical 3-pointer with three minutes left, to help nail down the victory. Pierre Brooks added 13 points and newcomer Patrick McCaffery had 11. Point guard Finley Bizjack sat out with a sprained ankle.
Providence 59, Central Conn. St. 55 – In a defensive battle, guard transfer Bensley Joseph scored 21 points, which included a mini 6-0 personal run late in the game, to help lift the Friars to victory. PC held CCSU without a field goal in the final 3:53.
Seton Hall 57, Saint Peter’s 53 – Another defensive clash also ended up with a four-point margin of victory. Newcomer guard Chaunce Jenkins scored 19 points for the Pirates, who helped force 19 Peacock turnovers. The Hall scored 12 of the game’s final 16 points. Isaiah Coleman missed the contest due to injury.
DePaul 80, Southern Indiana 78 OT – The Blue Demons gave new coach Chris Holtmann a win in his debut. DePaul has a completely new roster. Guard Isaiah Rivera scored 25 points. Guard Jacob Meyer added 23, including a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, to force overtime.
The BIG EAST schedule is dark for Tuesday. Wednesday’s slate shows three games which includes the season openers for UConn, Creighton and Georgetown.