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Freemantle, Swain Lead Xavier Past DePaul, 85-68
By
Musketeer Madness,
2/15/2025
Xavier dominated from start to finish on Saturday afternoon, cruising past DePaul 85-68 at the Cintas Center. The Musketeers improved to 16-10 overall and 8-7 in Big East play with the win, while the Blue Demons fell to 11-15 (2-13 Big East).
Senior forward Zach Freemantle led the charge with a team-high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting while grabbing nine rebounds. Dailyn Swain delivered an all-around performance, scoring 17 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the field while dishing out eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds.
Xavier wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to a 10-0 lead within the first three minutes. Swain’s transition dunk electrified the crowd of 10,473, and the Musketeers never looked back. By halftime, Xavier held a commanding 45-31 advantage, fueled by 60.7% shooting from the floor.
DePaul showed fight early in the second half, trimming the deficit to 10 on multiple occasions behind C.J. Gunn’s aggressive play. Gunn finished with a team-high 16 points for the Blue Demons, but DePaul struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 24.1% (7-of-29) from three-point range.
Xavier countered each DePaul push with timely baskets. Ryan Conwell (14 points) and Dayvion McKnight (14 points, four assists) provided key contributions, while Marcus Foster chipped in 11 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line.
The Musketeers were efficient offensively, shooting 58.8% from the field and 87.5% from the charity stripe. They also capitalized on turnovers, scoring 15 points off DePaul’s 13 miscues. Fast-break opportunities were another edge for Xavier, who outscored DePaul 16-8 in transition.
DePaul’s struggles continued in the second half as Xavier’s defense tightened. The Blue Demons shot just 16.7% from three in the final 20 minutes, failing to find the deep-ball rhythm they needed to mount a comeback.
With the victory, Xavier secured its third consecutive win at home. The Musketeers will look to keep the momentum rolling when they continue their homestand against Butler on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 8:00pm at Cintas Center.
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