NCAA News Wire
Xavier 65, Georgetown 63
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All posts by Alan DraperUpdated8 hours ago on April 22, 2024
NEW YORK – For the second straight game in the Big East tournament, Xavier knocked off a Top 25 team, eliminating 23rd-ranked Georgetown 65-63 in the semifinals Friday at Madison Square Garden.
The Musketeers (21-12) face No. 4 Villanova, the top seed, in Saturday’s final.
On Thursday, Xavier turned back No. 22 Butler 67-61 in overtime. Xavier is 6-2 against Top 25 teams this season.
On Friday, the Musketeers built a 21-point, second-half lead, then held on for the win. It was the second win for Xavier over Georgetown (21-10) this season. Coach Chris Mack’s team defeated the Hoyas 70-53 on December 31t in the conference opener.
Center Matt Stainbrook topped Xavier with 20 points and nine rebounds. He was 8 of 13 from the floor.
Georgetown got 19 points from guard Jabril Trawick and 15 points from forward Isaac Copeland.
Georgetown freshman forward Paul White drained a 3-pointer to slice the Xavier lead to 59-57 with 24 seconds left before Xavier guard Myles Davis hit one of two from the line for a 60-57 edge two seconds later.
Xavier was 6 of 8 from the line in the last 22 seconds.
Georgetown guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera countered with a layup to get the Hoyas to 60-59, but Xavier guard Dee Davis made two free throws to put his team ahead, 62-59 with 10 seconds remaining.
Xavier had gone 10 minutes without a field goal until freshman forward Trevon Bluiett buried a 3-pointer from the right baseline with 3:33 to play, giving the Musketeers a 57-48 lead. Bluiett’s two free throws with 1:46 left moved the Xavier lead to 59-52.
The Hoyas clawed back from a 21-point hole with 12:21 to play, trimming the Xavier lead to 53-43 on Trawick’s 3-pointer that ended a 10-0 run for Georgetown with 6:07 left.
Xavier started the second half the same way it finished the first half. The Musketeers used a 14-4 burst in the first 10 minutes of the half to grab a comfortable 49-33 cushion.
The Hoyas led by as many as eight points in the first half, before Xavier took control. A 3-pointer from forward J.P. Macura gave the Musketeers a 24-22 lead it wouldn’t lose.
Macura’s basket was the catalyst for an 11-4 run to close the half, giving Xavier a 35-26 cushion.
Stainbrook led Xavier with 14 first-half points, six taking place in that late run.
NOTES: Xavier sophomore G Myles Davis leads the Big East and is 22nd in the nation in free-throw percentage. … Xavier F Trevon Bluiett leads all conference freshman in scoring with a 21.1 average. … Xavier clinched its ninth 20-win season in the last 10 years and its 17th in the last 19 years. … This is the 11th meeting between the two schools. … Georgetown has been to the NCAA Tournament in each of coach John Thompson III’s 10 years at the school.
