Quincy Olivari scored a game-high 29 points and Xavier benefited from a 17-2 run in the second half to pick up a 74-54 victory over Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati.
It was a one-point game when the Musketeers (7-6, 1-1 Big East) rattled off 14 straight points to grab a commanding 57-42 lead with 9:39 left to play.
Dylan Addae-Wusu’s layup ended the Pirates’ drought, but Trey Green answered with a trey, and Seton Hall (8-5, 1-1) trailed by at least 14 the rest of the way.
Olivari made 11 of 20 shots from the floor, including 5 of 11 from deep, while grabbing seven boards. Abou Ousmane recorded a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double for Xavier, which also got 15 points and 10 assists from Dayvion McKnight.
Dre Davis paced the Pirates with 18 points. Kadary Richmond chipped in 13 points, eight rebounds and four steals as Seton Hall saw a three-game winning streak come to an end.
The Musketeers shot 44.3 percent from the field and 50 percent (10 of 20) from beyond the arc, while the Pirates hit just 32.4 percent of their shots overall. Seton Hall went just 2-for-15 from long range.
After Xavier scored the first five points of the game, the Pirates answered with a 10-4 run to take a one-point lead with 11:52 left in the first half.
The Musketeers later used a pair of 8-0 bursts to open up a 32-21 advantage with 1:15 remaining until the break. Olivari headlined both rallies, scoring five points during the first run and four during the second.
Richmond recorded the final four points of the half, though, sinking a pair of free throws and converting a layup at the buzzer to pull Seton Hall within 32-25 at the break.
Neither team was efficient through the first 20 minutes of action, with the Pirates canning just 9 of 36 shots from the field, including 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. Xavier went 14-for-36 overall and 2-for-5 from 3-point range.
–Field Level Media
