Marquette defeats Xavier 66-65

Marquette Edges Xavier in Thrilling 66-65 Victory

In a back-and-forth battle, Marquette outlasted visiting Xavier 66-65 at the Fiserv Forum on Thursday night, capping off an impressive home stand for the Golden Eagles.

The game was a true thriller, with Marquette leading by as many as 13 points in the first half. However, Xavier's Malik Messina-Moore sparked a crucial comeback in the second half, scoring 14 of his 22 points after halftime to bring Xavier within one point with just over a minute remaining.

Despite Messina-Moore's heroics, Marquette held its ground and secured the narrow victory. The Golden Eagles' Royce Parham led all scorers with 14 points, also grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists. Chase Ross chipped in with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals.

For Xavier, Messina-Moore was instrumental in his team's comeback, scoring 22 points on 4-of-6 three-point shooting. Filip Borovicanin contributed 7 rebounds and 9 points off the bench.

The game was marked by several key statistics that showcased the strengths of each team. Marquette shot 48.8% from two-point range and 23% from beyond the arc, while Xavier connected on 46% of its three-point attempts but struggled with free throw shooting, converting just 71% of their attempts.

Marquette's strong rebounding effort (47 total) allowed them to control the paint and limit Xavier's scoring opportunities. In contrast, Xavier's inability to secure rebounds (34 total) ultimately cost the Musketeers in the end.

The win keeps Marquette competitive in the conference standings and sets up a crucial matchup with another top-ranked team next week.