2.26.22
The sophomore guard had 20 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday afternoon
CINCINNATI – Colby Jones matched his career high in scoring on Saturday afternoon, scoring 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting as the Musketeers dropped an 82-66 BIG EAST matchup vs Seton Hall at Cintas Center.
Xavier moved to 17-11 (7-10 BIG EAST) on the year, while the Pirates improved to 18-9 (9-8 BIG EAST).
FIRST HALF RECAP
Seton Hall took an early 9-4 lead at the game’s first media timeout (15:45) as the Pirates hit four of their first six shot attempts. Xavier responded by hitting six of its next nine shots, outscoring the Pirates, 15-9, and taking its second lead of the game (19-18) at the 9:52 mark.
• The Pirates went on a 14-7 run behind 5-for-10 shooting, taking a six-point lead (32-26) with 3:28 left on the clock. Xavier closed within three points (34-31) on a Jack Nunge basket with 2:08 left in the half before the Pirates closed the stanza by scoring five unanswered points – taking 39-31 advantage into the locker room.
• All told, the first half had four lead changes and three ties. Seton Hall held a 16-13 advantage on the glass and scored six more points off of turnovers (6-0).
• The Musketeers connected on 52 percent (13-for-25) of their shot attempts, while the Pirates went 15-for-30 from the floor.
• Colby Jones led Xavier with 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting. Jack Nunge paced the team on the glass with five rebounds.
SECOND HALF RECAP
Seton Hall opened the second half on a 9-5 run behind 3-for-4 shooting, taking a 12-point lead (48-36) and forcing a Xavier timeout. The Musketeers closed within six points (55-49) on a pair of Adam Kunkel free throws at the 12:37 mark, but the Pirates responded with back-to-back baskets to regain its double-figure lead (59-49).
• Xavier got within single-digits on a Paul Scruggs layup with 6:32 left in regulation, but the Pirates closed the game on a 14-7 run – pulling away for the 82-66 victory. Seton Hall was only 3-for-7 from the floor down the stretch, but went 8-for-9 from the foul line.
• Seton Hall hit 56 percent (14-for-25) of its second-half shot attempts, while the Musketeers were limited to a .400 field-goal percentage (10-for-25).
NOTABLES
Colby Jones matched his career high in scoring with 20 points on 8-for-10 shooting. He also scored 20 points at St. John’s on Feb. 16, 2021.
• Colby Jones added 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. The sophomore guard chipped in four assists, one steal and one block.
• Zach Freemantle scored 11 points and Adam Kunkel posted 10 points. Paul Scruggs finished with nine points and three assists. Dwon Odom had a team-high five assists as the Musketeers finished the game with 18 assists on 23 made baskets.
• Jack Nunge added eight rebounds and six points. He was also 4-for-6 from the foul line.
• Seton Hall won the battle on the glass, 31-30, and scored 13 more points off of turnovers (17-4). The Pirates also scored eight more points in the paint (32-24).
• Xavier finished the game with a .460 field-goal percentage (23-for-50) and went 7-for-17 from behind the arc. The Musketeers were 13-for-23 from the foul line, while the Pirates hit 84.2 percent (16-for-19) of its free-throw attempts.
COURTESY XAVIER ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
