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  • Zach Freemantle Helps Led No. 22 Xavier Past South Carolina State At Home, 71-68

Zach Freemantle Helps Led No. 22 Xavier Past South Carolina State At Home, 71-68

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Basketball

Zach Freemantle's 17-point performance led three Musketeers in double figures as No. 22 Xavier held off South Carolina State, 71-68, at Cintas Center on Sunday afternoon.

The Musketeers improved to 7-1 on the season, while the Bulldogs moved to 4-5.

The Musketeers head out on the road next, traveling to TCU on Thursday, December 5 as part of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. The Musketeers and the Horned Frogs get underway at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Notables

  • Zach Freemantle finished with a team-high 17 points after leading Xavier with 10 points in the first half. Freemantle also led the Musketeers with seven rebounds and four steals.
  • Dayvion McKnight had 14 points after scoring 13 in the second half, connecting on 2-of-3 shots from the floor and all eight free throws after halftime. He also finished with four rebounds and a team-leading five assists.
  • Jerome Hunter added 10 points for the Musketeers, shooting 5-of-6 from the floor.
  • The two teams traded leads early, with the Musketeers leading by as many as six after back-to-back Ryan Conwell threes. South Carolina State went on a 13-0 run to lead by seven, 18-11, with 10:31 to play in the first half before Xavier outscored the Bulldogs 21-5 over the next nine minutes to lead by as many as 10 in the final minute of the first half before going into the break up six, 32-26.
  • After a Ryan Conwell three-pointer to open the second half, the Bulldogs outscored the Musketeers 14-5 over the next seven minutes to tie the game at 40-40. Xavier went on an 18-5 run to take a 13-point lead, the Musketeers' largest of the game, into the final five minutes of the game.
  • SC State used a 12-0 run to pull within one, keeping within two possessions for the rest of the game, but the Musketeers went 6-of-6 from the free throw line in the final 15 seconds, including Trey Green connecting on all four of his attempts at the line for the game, to seal the 71-68 win.
  • The Musketeers finished shooting 45.5 percent for the game with the Bulldogs connecting on 42.6 percent overall, but South Carolina State connected on 51.7 percent of its shots in the second half compared to Xavier's 45 percent shooting after the break.
  • The Bulldogs finished with a 32-29 advantage on rebounds, with Xavier holding a 24-22 advantage on the defensive glass, and SC State holding a 10-5 lead on the offensive boards.
  • Xavier had 16 turnovers to 18 for South Carolina State, but the Bulldogs were able to outscore the Musketeers, 24-16, in points off miscues.
  • The Bulldogs had a 45-14 advantage on bench points.
  • Xavier moved to 1-0 against South Carolina State with Sunday's game being the opening game of the series.
  • The Musketeers remain unbeaten at Cintas Center for the season, moving to 6-0 at home.