National Basketball Association
Xavier 93, Northern Arizona 60
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, November 14, 2014
Where: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Officials:
# Jeff Clark, # Matt Potter, # David Stephens
Attendance:
10250
By SportsDirect Inc.
Xavier 93, Northern Arizona 60: Matt Stainbrook recorded 18 points and nine rebounds as the host Musketeers won their 25th consecutive season opener by chopping down the Lumberjacks.
Trevon Bluiett registered 18 points and five rebounds while Jalen Reynolds scored 16 for Xavier, which cruised to a 26-point halftime lead on 63.6 percent shooting. The top three scorers finished 21-for-25 from the field for the Musketeers, who recorded 22 assists on 36 baskets and shot 66.7 percent.
Quinton Upshur scored 18 of Northern Arizona's final 21 points and wound up with 20. The Lumberjacks (0-1), who were voted to finish second by the media and third by the coaches in the Big Sky Conference preseason polls, shot 28 percent from the field before making 10 of their final 13 shots.
The Musketeers made their first 11 tries from inside the 3-point arc en route to a 34-10 lead as Stainbrook dominated with nine points, four rebounds and three blocks. Stainbrook made his first six shots from the floor while Reynolds converted his first five during the spurt, which featured 68.1 percent shooting by Xavier.
The Musketeers also dominated defensively en route to a 48-22 halftime lead by holding the Lumberjacks to 28.1 percent shooting and recording seven blocks, including three by James Farr. Consecutive buckets by Brandon Randolph gave Xavier an 86-35 lead with 7:10 remaining.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Xavier was voted to finish fourth in the Big East Conference preseason coaches poll. ... Northern Arizona C Len Springs, who led the Big Sky Conference in blocks with 58 last season, recorded one. ...The Musketeers have won 20 games in eight of the last nine seasons and 16 of the last 18.
Top Game Performances
Northern Arizona |
|
Xavier |
Quinton Upshur 20 |
Scoring |
Trevon Bluiett 18 |
Aaseem Dixon 4 |
Assists |
Brandon Randolph 5 |
Jordyn Martin 6 |
Rebounds |
Matt Stainbrook 9 |
Kris Yanku 3 |
Free Throws Made |
Trevon Bluiett 5 |
Aaseem Dixon 2 |
Steals |
Trevon Bluiett 2 |
Len Springs 1 |
Blocks |
James Farr 3 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Northern Arizona
|
60 |
38.1 |
8-21 |
4-12 |
13 |
25 |
1 |
6 |
16 |
Xavier
|
93 |
66.7 |
7-19 |
14-19 |
22 |
31 |
8 |
7 |
16 |