Colorado Buffaloes vs Xavier Musketeers Box Score on Dec 09, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 9, 2017

CINCINNATI -- Trevon Bluiett scored 25 points and J.P. Macura added 17, lifting No. 13 Xavier to a 96-69 victory over Colorado on Saturday at Cintas Center.

Tyrique Jones scored 11 points and had seven rebounds for the Musketeers, who got revenge for a 68-66 loss to the Buffaloes last season in Boulder.

Xavier already this season has avenged losses last year to Cincinnati, Baylor and Colorado. The Musketeers also repaid Wisconsin for a loss in the 2015 NCAA Tournament with a win over the Badgers in November.

Namon Wright scored 18 points and McKinley Wright IV had 16 for Colorado.

Xavier (9-1) ambushed Colorado in the first five minutes of Saturday's game.

Macura, who scored 11 combined points over the last two games, scored seven of Xavier's first nine points on Saturday.

Bluiett hit consecutive 3s as the Musketeers began the night 5 of 6 from 3-point range to build a 31-10 lead. Colorado had eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes, leading to 13 Xavier points.

The Buffaloes (7-2) hadn't allowed more than 38 points in the first half.

Xavier eclipsed 38 points in the first seven minutes of Wednesday night's game and led 49-33 at halftime behind 17 points from Macura and 13 from Bluiett.

Xavier's defensive intensity lapsed in the latter stages of the first half as a 26-point lead was reduced to 16. The Musketeers also had just one field goal in the final five minutes of the half.

George King scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half for the Buffaloes.

The Musketeers' defensive intensity ebbed and flowed throughout Saturday's game.

Xavier put its foot back on the pedal early in the second half when Goodin's pass to O'Mara, who dunked it home, made the score 65-45 with fewer than 14 minutes left.

Goodin finished with eight assists, one shy of a season high. O'Mara scored 10 points.

A pair of 3-pointers by Dominique Collier and a layup by Wright during an 11-2 run brought the Buffaloes to within 69-56 with 11:02 left but Colorado got no closer.

NOTES: In the past three games, Xavier has outscored its opponents 40-21 in the first five minutes. ... Colorado faced its first ranked opponent this season after going 3-5 vs. ranked foes last year. ... The Buffaloes have 15 wins over ranked opponents in coach Tad Boyle's six seasons. ... Xavier has won 37 straight nonconference home games dating to the 2012-13 season. ... Colorado came in leading all Pac-12 teams in scoring defense at 66.4 points per game.