Xavier Musketeers overpower the Butler Bulldogs 73-61: NCAA Basketball Recap
After escaping the jail four days ago against Purdue Boilermakers, Xavier Musketeers worked on their weaknesses and came into this game better prepared. They attacked right from the very beginning to overpower Butler Bulldogs 73-61.
Musketeers have now extended their unbeaten record to 7-0 whereas Bulldogs have dropped to 4-5 and need to get back in rhythm and start winning to advance further in the tournament.
Tu Holloway and Mark Lyons were the star performers for the Musketeers.
Both pounded 16 points each and shot a combined 22 for 24 from the charity stripe. Dezmine Wells played the supporting role brilliantly and chipped in with 13 including 5 for 9 from the arc.
Roosevelt Jones paced the Bulldogs with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Chase Stigall also accumulated 10 and pulled down 6 rebounds. No other player from the side managed to produce a decent tally.
Bulldogs drew the first blood courtesy of a jumper by Kameron Woods; however it was countered immediately by a jumper from Andre Walker.
Both teams fought hard in the next few minutes and stayed neck to neck. It was the 6th minute when Musketeers changed gears and bolted off a crucial 15-0 burst, capped by Lyons driving layup midway through the frame,
that propelled the team into a commanding position at 21-6. The Musketeers continued to dominate in the ensuing passage, before the Bulldogs bounced back with an 11-2 spurt led by Jackson Aldridge and Stigall, to slash the deficit to 11 points 34-23.
However, another 5-0 surge in the last two minutes by Musketeers again boosted the lead and helped Xavier finish the half with a dominant 39-23 scoreline.
A brace by Kenny in the opening minute of the deciding frame drew the game further away from Bulldogs and made it 41-23, but what followed next was a magnificent 18-4 burst from Bulldogs, that brought them right back in the game.
Bulldogs had done the hard work and just needed to hound the Musketeers for just few more minutes to get ahead, however unfortunately for them, they failed and instead, allowed Musketeers to compile another 11-2 run.
That spurt proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Bulldogs.
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