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Cold Shooting, Early Hole Doom Xavier Against Creighton
By
Musketeer Madness,
12/17/2025
A frigid shooting start and a relentless Creighton offense proved too much for Xavier on Tuesday night as the Musketeers fell 98–57 to the Bluejays at the Cintas Center.
Xavier never recovered from a difficult first half in which Creighton shot 58 percent from the field and 53 percent from three-point range, opening up a commanding 49–22 halftime lead. The Bluejays knocked down eight three-pointers before the break and capitalized on turnovers to consistently extend the margin.
Malik Messina-Moore led Xavier with 14 points, adding five rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes. Roddie Anderson III chipped in 12 points off the bench, while Pape N’Diaye provided an efficient 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers.
Creighton’s Austin Swartz was the difference-maker, pouring in 27 points on 10-of-17 shooting and knocking down seven three-pointers. Jasen Green added 11 points and six rebounds, while Josh Dix and Nik Graves each finished with nine or more points as Creighton showcased its depth, scoring 43 bench points.
Xavier struggled to find an offensive rhythm throughout the night, finishing just 24-of-66 from the field (36.4 percent) and 6-of-24 from beyond the arc. The Musketeers were unable to generate consistent paint scoring against Creighton’s interior defense and were outscored 21–11 in fast-break points.
Despite a stronger second half offensively, where Xavier scored 35 points, the early deficit was too large to overcome. Creighton continued to apply pressure, shooting 62.5 percent in the second half and pushing the lead to as many as 41 points.
The loss drops Xavier to 8–4 on the season and opens Big East play at 0–1. The Musketeers will look to regroup quickly as they continue conference action on Saturday night when they travel to Georgetown, searching for improved efficiency and defensive consistency. Game time is set for 8:30 p.m. at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
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