Freshman KyKy Tandy and junior Naji Marshall each scored 18 points as host Xavier got off to a hot start and used a balanced attack to end a three-game losing streak and earn a 66-57 Big East Conference victory Wednesday over Georgetown in Cincinnati.
Tyrique Jones added 10 points and 13 rebounds, while Jason Carter had 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Musketeers (13-6, 2-4) used an early 13-0 run to jump to a double-digit lead and then held on for the victory.
Mac McClung had 19 points for Georgetown, while leading scorer Omer Yurtseven had just six as the Hoyas (12-8, 2-5) have dropped consecutive games and three of their past four. The Hoyas were held to under 60 points for the first time this season.
The Musketeers not only went on the early scoreless run, they also outscored the Hoyas 17-1 in an extended stretch to take a 19-5 lead just over 10 minutes into the game. Georgetown went 8:34 without a field goal at one point in the first half.
The Musketeers took a 35-23 lead into halftime by shooting 42.9 percent from the floor. They held the Hoyas to 28.6-percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes.
Georgetown cut the deficit to eight multiple times in the second half but didn't get under that margin until the final minute of the game.
Marshall scored 13 points in the second half as Xavier shot just 31.3 percent from the field after the break and 37.3 percent for the game but still finished off the victory.
The Hoyas shot just 36.8 percent from the field for the game, were outrebounded 48-38 and trailed 28-20 on points in the paint.
Xavier won with point guard Quentin Goodin on the bench after some recent struggles. Goodin, who is fourth all time in assists at Xavier with 523, had started the previous 18 games this season and averaged 29.7 minutes per game. He was 0 for 15 from the field over his past two games.
Paul Scruggs handled the point-guard duties for the Musketeers and scored five points with five assists in 37 minutes. He was 2 of 15 from the field.
Georgetown fell to 1-8 all-time at Xavier's Cintas Center.
--Field Level Media
Georgetown | Xavier | |
Mac McClung 19 | Scoring | Naji Marshall 18 |
Jagan Mosely 4 | Assists | Naji Marshall 5 |
Jamorko Pickett 10 | Rebounds | Tyrique Jones 13 |
Mac McClung 7 | Free Throws Made | Jason Carter 3 |
Mac McClung 3 | Steals | Naji Marshall 4 |
Omer Yurtseven 3 | Blocks | Paul Scruggs 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Georgetown | 57 | 36.8 | 4-18 | 11-15 | 9 | 35 | 7 | 5 | 11 |
Xavier | 66 | 37.3 | 8-25 | 8-15 | 15 | 43 | 4 | 8 | 10 |