02.16.22

Jack Nunge post third-straight 20-plus point performance

CINCINNATI – Jack Nunge’s 22-point effort led three Musketeers in double figures but Xavier was unable to hold off St. John’s, falling 86-73 at Cintas Center on Wednesday evening. 

Paul Scruggs, who set a new Xavier record for games played at 143, added 16 points for the Musketeers, and Zach Freemantle finished with 10 points as Xavier fell to 17-8 overall and 7-7 in BIG EAST play.

FIRST HALF RECAP

• After Xavier opened up a 4-0 lead to start the game, SJU outscored Xavier 13-2 over the next four minutes to take a 13-6 lead with 13 minutes to play in the first half.
• The Red Storm extended the lead to as many as eight, 17-9, before Xavier responded with a 10-0 run capped by back-to-back threes from Adam Kunkel, who had eight of the Musketeers’ 10 points during that stretch.
• After Xavier retook the lead St. John’s came right back with a 9-0 run of its own, going back ahead by seven, 26-19, with 10 minutes to play.
• SJU would lead by as many as eight in the final 10 minutes of the half, before Xavier outscored the Red Storm 10-2 to tie the game with 4:24 remaining, with Jack Nunge scoring five straight in that stretch.
• Two more Red Storm three pointers would help St. John’s push its lead back out to as many as seven before Xavier closed the half on a 4-0 run to set the halftime score at 45-42.
• Jack Nunge finished the first half with 13 points to lead the Musketeers.
• Adam Kunkel added nine for Xavier, connecting on 2-of-3 threes.
• Zach Freemantle shot 4-of-5 from the floor for eight first half points.
• Xavier shot 53.3 percent from the floor overall, compared to 52.9 for the Red Storm but St. John’s connected on 6-of-12 threes while Xavier went 3-of-8 from outside. 
• Xavier held a 17-15 advantage on rebounds, with Colby Jones, Nunge and Freemantle each grabbing four.
• The Musketeers committed seven turnovers to five for SJU, but the Red Storm capitalized on the Xavier miscues, out-scoring X 11-5 on points of turnovers.

SECOND HALF RECAP

• Xavier continued its first half run to a 8-2 stretch to open the second half, making it a one-point game.
• Xavier score four straight to retake the lead, 52-51, with 15 minutes to play, and the two teams traded one-possession leads for the next seven minutes before SJU used a 7-0 spurt to go up six, 63-57, with just under nine minutes to play in the game.
• The Musketeers would pull to within three in the final eight minutes of the game, but a 11-2 run would extend the St. John’s lead out to 12, 74-62, with just over four minutes remaining.
• From that point, St. John’s built the lead out to as many as 16 before winning by a final score fo 86-73.
• Paul Scruggs had 14 second-half points to lead the Musketeers, connecting on 6-of-8 field goals.
• Jack Nunge added nine points after the break.
• Xavier forced nine Red Storm miscues for a 9-7 advantage on turnovers in the second half, but SJU finished with a 10-6 advantage on points off turnovers.
• SJU shot 55.2 prcent from the floor in the second half while the Musketeers connected on 44.8 percent of their shots.
• St. John’s finished the second half with a 19-12 advantage on rebounds. Colby Jones had five to lead Xavier.

NOTABLES

• Jack Nunge led the Musketeers with 22 points, connecting on 8-of-16 shots from the floor, his third-straight 22-point game. Nunge also grabbed seven rebounds.
• Paul Scruggs appeared in his 143rd game for Xavier, the most games played by a Musketeer in program history. He finished with 16 points after leading the Musketeers in the second half. 
• Zach Freemantle added 10 points for Xavier.
• Colby Jones led Xavier on the boards, grabbing nine, as the Musketeers were outrebounded 34-29.
• St. John’s shot 54 percent overall from the floor and 40 percent (8-of-20) from three while the Musketeers shot 49.2 percent overall but just 20 percent (4-of-20) from outside

COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS