The opening game of the Big East Tournament started as a snooze fest. It ended as anything-but.
At Xavier, they call any time the defense gets three consecutive stops a “kill.” To open the 2022 Big East Tournament, the Musketeers recorded six straight stops, recording two kills. It took Butler nearly four minutes to get on the board for the first time. For Xavier, it happened on the first possession. Jack Nunge and Paul Scruggs attacked Butler’s interior and got the scoring going early.
Zach Freemantle added two free throws and Scruggs and Odom both hit layups to extend Xavier’s lead to 10-5, but a Chuck Harris three with 12:14 left in the first half cut Butler’s deficit to two.