Villanova served Xavier its first loss in Big East conference play tonight in a forceful way, defeating the Musketeers 79-54.
The first half quickly established the high-octane shooting of the game. JP Macura opened scoring for Xavier, and the Musketeers ran with it. Xavier dominated the opening of the game, with Macura and Trevon Bluiett’s leading their effort. Capitalizing on a lapse of ‘Nova defense, Xavier worked the court both in the paint and from the perimeter.
However, their sway ended abruptly near the 10 minute mark of the first half. ‘Nova kicked their offensive game into high-gear with a little (read: a lot) of help from Kris Jenkins.