CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Marist University men's basketball team fell by a score of 66-62 to Xavier of the Big East Conference on Monday night at the Cintas Center in the season opener for both teams.
The Red Foxes led for a majority of the first half, and erased a 20-point deficit to take the lead in the second half before Xavier took the lead for good in the final two minutes.
- Jadin Collins-Roberts scored the Red Foxes' first two points of the season, and a 6-0 Marist run gave the Red Foxes an 8-2 lead at the first media timeout. The run reached 7-0 as Xavier was held scoreless for 5:46.
- Xavier took its first lead with 3:45 left in the first half on a jumper by Malik Messina-Moore. This was the start of a 14-0 run for the Musketeers that was snapped on a three-point play by Elijah Lewis with 28.2 seconds left in the first half.
- Xavier led 29-19 at halftime.
- Xavier increased its lead to 20 early in the second half.
- Marist got within eight thanks to a 13-2 run which included nine points from Rhyjon Blackwell in a span of 3:47.
- Marist re-claimed the lead with 3:22 left on two free throws by Jordan Gabriel. These were part of a 13-0 Marist run as Xavier was held scoreless for 4:55.
- Jovan Milicevic's three-pointer with 1:46 left put Xavier ahead for good. Milicevic then hit two free throws to account for the game's final points.
- Blackwell scored a game-high 24 points. He shot 7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-5 from three, and 7-for-8 from the line.
- Lewis had 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
- Collins-Roberts had 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
- Marist shot .609 (14-for-23) from the field in the second half.
- Malik Messina-Moore led four Xavier scorers in double digits with 16.
- This was the first meeting between Marist and Xavier.
- This was the first time Marist had faced a Big East team since 2013, when the Red Foxes traveled to Providence.
- Marist heads back to the road to face Ivy League foe Dartmouth on Sunday, Nov. 9.
- Tip-off is est for 2 p.m.
