Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Xavier 74, Marquette 66
When: 2:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 16, 2016
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Officials: # Evan Burroughs, # Pat Driscoll, # Lamar Simpson
Attendance: 14864

MILWAUKEE -- Trevon Bluiett scored 18 points and James Farr added 16 as No. 7 Xavier knocked off Marquette, 74-66, in a Big East Conference game on Saturday at the Bradley Center.

The Musketeers extended their winning streak to four games despite only shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 5-for-22 from beyond the 3-point arc.

With the offense struggling at times, Xavier's defense set the tone, holding Marquette 34.4 percent shooting and a 4-for-24 showing from distance.

Forward Henry Ellenson led Marquette with 20 points. He and center Luke Fischer, who had 11 when he fouled out with 3:39 remaining, were the only bright spots for the Golden Eagles.

The duo combined to go 11-for-19 from the field, but the rest of the Golden Eagles were 13-for-51.

Marquette's 10-0 run made it a 12-4 game early, but the Musketeers switched into a 1-3-1 zone that stymied Marquette, which went scoreless for 8:05.

Xavier went on a 21-0 run that put the Musketeers up, 32-18, with 4:25 left in the half.

Xavier's zone held Marquette to 31.4 percent shooting in the fist half, only 2-of-12 on shots from beyond the arc.

Farr hit 6-of-8 shots and scored 16 before the break for Xavier, while Ellenson had 11 points for the Golden Eagles, who trailed by as many as 14 in the second half before cutting the deficit to nine with 6:23 to play.

Xavier went 1-for-12 during that stretch, but recovered with a 3-pointer from Davis and the Musketeers held off Marquette the rest of the way.

Davis, who had gone 0-for-7 to start the game, sank two 3-pointers down the stretch.

NOTES: Xavier's 15-1 start entering play Saturday marked its best-ever record through 16 games. ... Through its first five Big East games, Marquette's three freshman starters have combined for 52.4 percent of the team's total minutes. F Henry Ellenson leads that group averaging 34.8 minutes a game. He is 11th in the country in scoring (15.7 points per game) and third in rebounding (9.8 per game) among first-year players this season. ... Xavier had made more free throws (323) than its opponents have attempted (287) this season, while junior G Myles Davis was third in the nation with a 93.5 percent free-throw percentage. ... The series between Marquette and Xavier dates to the 1958-59 season. The Musketeers have won three in a row and four of the last five but the Golden Eagles lead the all-time series, 47-19.
Top Game Performances
 
Xavier   Marquette
Trevon Bluiett 18 Scoring Henry Ellenson 20
Edmond Sumner 5 Assists Traci Carter 7
James Farr 19 Rebounds Wally Ellenson 8
Trevon Bluiett 6 Free Throws Made Henry Ellenson 5
Trevon Bluiett 2 Steals Traci Carter 2
Trevon Bluiett 1 Blocks Luke Fischer 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Xavier 74 42.4 5-22 19-26 15 48 2 6 15
Marquette 66 34.3 4-25 14-21 18 34 1 7 10