Xavier beat Butler in a battle of ranked teams and home squads took four of five contests in the BIG EAST New Year's Marathon on FS1.
The Musketeers, ranked sixth in both national polls, defeated No. 9/10 Butler 88-69 in front of 10,498 fans, the second largest crowd ever at the Cintas Center. Xavier pulled away in the second half with a 13-1 run. Remy Abell made 7-of-8 shots from the field and notched a career-high 21 points, leading five XU players in double figures. Butler's Roosevelt Jones was one of four Bulldogs in double figures with 14 points.