No. 6 Xavier Pulls Away Late for 88-69 Win Over No. 9 Butler

Saturday, January 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

1 P.M.

Xavier University

13-1, 1-1

Butler University

11-3, 0-2

Butler

Xavier

No. 6 Xavier Pulls Away Late for 88-69 Win Over No. 9 Butler

01.02.16 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Abell scores career high 21 to lead five Musketeers in double figures

By: Hayley Schletker, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – A career game from senior guard Remy Abell helped No. 6 Xavier take down No. 9 Butler on Saturday in front of a crowd of 10,498 at Cintas Center, the second largest crowd in arena history. The 88-69 win in the conference home opener moves the Musketeers to 13-1 overall and 1-1 in BIG EAST play.

Abell finished the game shooting 87.5 percent from the floor, hitting 3-of-3 from outside to post a game-high 21 points, topping his previous career high of 18, set at Auburn on Dec. 20, 2014.

Jalen Reynolds and Trevon Bluiett each added 13 points for the Musketeers. Myles Davis finished with 11, also dishing out five assists to lead the Musketeers who were missing freshman guard Edmond Sumner for the game. Abell and Larry Austin Jr. each finished with four assists.

Kaiser Gates was the fifth Musketeer in double figures, finishing with 10 after leading the team with eight points in the second half, doubling his previous career high of five set against Southern California earlier this season.

Abell opened the game hitting 4-of-4 from the floor, including a pair of three pointers, scoring 12 points in the first nine minutes to help the Musketeers take a 23-15 lead.

A 6-0 run from the Musketeers, capped by a three from Reynolds, extended the lead to as many 12 in the first half, with Xavier leading 29-12 with less than nine minute to play before halftime.

The Bulldogs would get as close as three late in the second half before the Musketeers finished the half on a 7-0 run, capped by a Davis three at the buzzer, to take a 45-35 lead into halftime.

Davis' three was the Musketeers' fifth of the first half, with Xavier hitting 5-of-11 from outside and 53.3 from the floor overall.

Abell led the Musketeers with 14 points in the first half, just one off his season high in the first 20 minutes. Bluiett added 11 before the break and Reynolds, shooting 100 percent from the floor, finished the half with eight.
The Musketeers owned a narrow 18-16 advantage on the boards in the first half, led by James Farr's seven rebounds.

Abell opened the second half with a bucket for a new season high of 16, before Butler responded with a 10-2 run, climbing to within four, 49-45, less than five minutes into the second half.

Davis' second three of the game ended the Butler run, but the Bulldogs were able to cut the lead down to three, 55-52, with 12 minutes remaining in the game. Xavier responded with a 7-0 run, capped by a three from Kaiser Gates, to extend the lead back out 62-52 with 9:41 left to play.

Another 6-0 run for the Musketeers extended the lead out 15, 68-53, with 7:35 to play. Xavier controlled the game down the stretch, leading by as many as 24 before winning, 88-69.

Ten Musketeers finished in the scoring column, as Xavier shot 56.4 percent from the floor compared to 38.7 for the Bulldogs. The Musketeers dominated underneath the basket, outscore the Bulldogs 42-28 in the paint.

Xavier finished the game with a 36-31 advantage on the boards, led by Farr's game-high 10 rebounds. Farr also finished with a game-high four blocks.

Xavier returns to the road for its next matchup, traveling to Queens, N.Y. to face St. John's on Wednesday, Jan. 6. The Musketeers and Red Storm are set to tip off at 9:00 p.m. on FOX Sports 1.