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Musketeers Become Latest Headache for Struggling Ohio State Buckeyes as Xavier Wins

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Basketball

Jack Nunge posted his third career double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds) on Thursday night, leading the Musketeers to a 71-65 win over No. 19 Ohio State at Cintas Center. Xavier improved to 3-0 on the year, while the Buckeyes dropped to 2-1.

Senior Paul Scruggs scored 10 of Xavier's final 12 points in the game to seal the victory. The guard matched Nunge with a team-high 14 points.

FIRST HALF

  • Xavier hit three of its first four shots of the game, taking an early 6-2 lead at the 17:10 mark. Ohio State closed within one point (10-9) with 12:44 on the clock before Xavier outscored the Buckeyes, 14-7, over the next eight minutes - taking a 24-16 advantage.
  • The Musketeers never trailed in the first half and led by as many as 11 points (35-24) on a Paul Scruggs basket with 29 seconds on the clock. Ohio State hit a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to get within nine points (35-26) at the break.
  • Adam Kunkel led the Musketeers with eight points in the first half on 3-for-6 shooting. Colby Jones added five points and a team-high six rebounds. Nate Johnson chipped in six points on 3-for-4 shooting.
  • Xavier limited the Buckeyes to a .300 field-goal percentage (10-for-30) in the first half and forced nine turnovers, converting the miscues into eight points. The Musketeers also held a 22-12 advantage in points in the paint.

SECOND HALF

  • The two teams combined to go 6-for-27 from the floor in the opening nine minutes of the second half. Xavier led by as many as 11 points (46-35) on a pair of Jack Nunge free throws at the 11:04 mark.
  • The Musketeers led by 10 points (54-44) with 8:10 left in regulation before the Buckeyes scored five unanswered points to close within five points (54-49) at the 6:12 mark. Xavier pushed its lead back out to eight points (57-49) on a Nate Johnson three pointer with 4:56 on the clock.
  • The Buckeyes responded with another 5-0 run to close within three points (57-54) and force a Xavier timeout (3:29).
  • The Musketeers never relinquished the lead despite the Buckeyes closing with two points (67-65) with 17 seconds left in the game. 
  • Xavier closed the game on a 4-0 run, going 4-for-4 from the foul line to seal the 71-65 victory.
  • Paul Scruggs scored 10 of the final 12 points for the Musketeers.

NOTABLES

  • Jack Nunge posted his third career double-double, posting 14 points and 14 rebounds. The 14 rebounds are a new career high for the junior forward.
  • Paul Scruggs added 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and one steal. The senior guard scored 10 of his points in the final three minutes of the game. Scruggs entered Xavier's top 25 for all-time scoring at 1,300 points.
  • Nate Johnson scored 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting. He added three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
  • Colby Jones pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds. The sophomore guard added seven points, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
  • Adam Kunkel rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points. He added four assists and a steal.
  • Xavier held the Buckeyes to a .377 field-goal percentage (23-for-61) and won the battle on the glass, 43-35. The Musketeers also scored six more points off of turnovers (10-4) than Ohio State and held a 10-point advantage (38-28) in points in the paint. 
  • Xavier had 10 steals in the game, the team's second game of the season with 10 or more steals. The Musketeers had 11 steals in the season-opening win over Niagara.

UP NEXT

Xavier closes its four-game season-opening homestand on Sunday, Nov. 21 vs Norfolk State. Tip-off is slated for noon with the game being aired nationally on FS1.