Xavier holds off Seaton Hall on a late defensive play

Colby Jones forced Cadderly Richmond for a traveling violation with five seconds left in regulation against Xavier in a 73-30 win over Seton Hall in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

Leading Seton Hall (7-6, 0-2 Big East) by 17 points, Richmond had a chance to win the game with a drive to the basket while the Musketeers led 71-70. However, he lost control as Jones held him tight.

Xavier’s Adam Kunkel hit two free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining, and Seton Hall’s Jameel Harris missed a baseline 3-pointer that could have tied the game, leaving the Musketeers (10-3). , 2-0) to six straight wins.

It also marked Seton Hall’s fourth straight win at Xavier. The Musketeers hadn’t beaten the Pirates in Cincinnati since February 14, 2018.

Zach Fremantle led Xavier with a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds, while Jones had 16 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.

The Musketeers entered the game as one of the top five teams in 3-point shooting percentage in the country. However, they only made 3 of their first 14 shots after crossing the arc, allowing Seton Hall to stay close.

Xavier extended their eight-point lead twice in the first half, 21-13 and 27-19, thanks to 14 points from Fremantle. Souley Boum and Jones each added his eight points as Xavier entered halftime with his 37-34 lead.

As Richmond started the game late, Tyrese Samuel made 6 of 7 shots from the field to lead the Pirates with 12 points in the first half.

The Pirates looked to have momentum on their side when Al-Amir Dawes connected on a 3-pointer with 13:31 remaining to give Seton Hall a 50-49 lead. However, 20 seconds later Jerome Hunter laid up and Xavier regained the lead.

That layup kicked off a 10-2 Xavier run, capped by two aggressive rebounds from Hunter and a right-handed half-hook shot from the baseline by Fremantle to bring the sold-out crowd to their feet.

Seton Hall scored the next seven points to tie the game.

Kunkel’s 3-pointer with 4:43 remaining gave Xavier a 64-61 lead. A minute after Freemantle, Trey put the Musketeers ahead 68-61.

The Pirates responded again, finishing within 71-70, outscoring Xavier 8-2 when Richmond made one of two free throws in 44.8 seconds. A jumper missed by Boum gave Seton Hall one last chance before Richmond’s key give-out.

–Field level media