Xavier Earns First BIG EAST Win in Three Years
By
Musketeer Madness,
1/18/2025
Xavier snapped a historic 47-game BIG EAST regular-season losing streak with a dramatic 50-49 victory over Butler at Cintas Center on Saturday. The Musketeers' first conference win since February 20, 2022, was highlighted by a tenacious defensive effort and clutch shooting in the closing minutes.
Meri Kanerva led Xavier with a game-high 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting, including two three-pointers. Loren Christie added 10 points and four rebounds, while Tae’lor Purvis chipped in nine points and four boards. Xavier shot an efficient 54.1% from the field, including 38.5% from beyond the arc, to outpace Butler's 32.7% overall shooting.
The Musketeers (6-12, 1-6 BIG EAST) set the tone early, jumping to an 18-9 lead after the first quarter. Their defensive intensity limited Butler to just 19 first-half points. Despite a second-half surge by the Bulldogs, Xavier held firm, with Kanerva’s steady scoring and a critical late jumper by Christie sealing the win.
Defensively, Xavier forced 19 turnovers, which translated into 20 points, while allowing just three made three-pointers by Butler. Sydney Jaynes led Butler (12-8, 2-5 BIG EAST) with 9 points and 5 rebounds, but the Bulldogs couldn’t overcome their shooting woes.
Saturday’s victory marked Xavier's first home BIG EAST win since December 29, 2021, also against Butler. The Musketeers will look to build on this momentum as they continue conference play at DePaul on Wednesday, January 22. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from Wintrust Arena.
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