Written by Adrian Beecher
Orlando, FL- Trevon Bluiett's 29 points and 6 rebounds led the 11th seeded Xavier Musketeers to a dominating 91-66 win over the 3rd seeded FSU Seminoles in round two of the NCAA Tournament. The Muskies jumped out on the Noles' fast and in a hurry, heres how it all went down.
Xavier won the tip off and quickly got underway with Tyrique Jones putting in a layup to start things for the Musketeers. FSU quickly answered back as Xavier Rathan-Mayes hit a triple. The game continued like this for the firs 5 minutes before anyone made any space between the other. The first sizable lead of the game was 5 for Xavier as Quentin Goodin hit a bank triple from the top of the key to make it 13-8 with 14:36 left in the 1st half.
The Musketeers continued to press and we able to push their lead to seven on a dunk from Sean O’Mara. At the second media timeout, it was 17-10 Xavier with 11:53 left in the half. Shortly after the media timeout, the Noles’ would have to use one of their timeouts as Trevon Bluiett hit a triple to put the Musketeers up 20-10.
The timeout did not prove to be effective as Bluiett hit a layup and then O’Mara followed it up with a layup and an and-one that make it 25-10 Xavier with 9:24 left to play in the half. It wasn’t until the 9:03 mark that FSU scored a bucket after going nearly 6 minutes without scoring. Then the Noles went on a 10-2 run to cut the Musketeers to just 7 points with 6:14 left in the 1st half.
This forced a Xavier timeout, and right after the timeout, FSU’s PJ Savoy stole the ball, and Jonathan Isaac slammed it home to make it 27-22 with 5:55 left to play and the Noles’ trailing. FSU was able to cut it to just 4 points before J.P. Macura hit a triple for the Musketeers to push their lead back to 7 with 3:43 left in the half.
A short time after, Xavier hit back-to-back triples to push their lead to 9 with 1:30 left in the half. The Musketeers would get their lead back up to 12. However, it was a 10 point lead for them when they went into the locker room at the half as the Noles’ Juarez Smith hit the final basket of the half.
Halfway through it was Sean O’Mara coming off the bench leading the Musketeers in scoring with 9 points. For the Noles’ it was Xavier Rathan-Mayes leading their scorers with 11 points.
Xavier started the second half with the ball but was unable to score on their first possession. The first basket of the second half came from FSU at the free-throw line with Rathan-Mayes hitting 1 of 2 to make it 44-35. Then it was the Musketeers hitting a triple on the other side of the floor to push their lead to 12 points with 19:14 left in the half.
The next 6 minutes were back and forth for both teams as the lead for Xavier fluctuated between 8-12 points. Then with 12:51 left in the half, J.P. Macura hit a triple to make it a 13-point lead, then Kaiser Gates followed suit with a triple of his own to make it 61-45 Musketeers.
After the under 12 media timeout, Bluiett hit a layup for the Musketeers to push the lead to 18. Then it was Gates hitting another triple to push their lead up to 21 points with just 11:19 left in regulation.
The Musketeers would push their lead up to 22 points, and the Noles’ were then able to hit back-to-back triples to cut the deficit to just 18. However, then just as quickly the Muskies were able to push it back to 22 points with 7:13 left to play.
With 3:50 left to play, things were looking bleak for the Seminoles Sweet Sixteen hopes, trailing by 23 points to Xavier. FSU was never able to cut into the lead, and as the final buzzer sounded, it was the Xavier Musketeers punching their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.
Xavier won the tip off and quickly got underway with Tyrique Jones putting in a layup to start things for the Musketeers. FSU quickly answered back as Xavier Rathan-Mayes hit a triple. The game continued like this for the firs 5 minutes before anyone made any space between the other. The first sizable lead of the game was 5 for Xavier as Quentin Goodin hit a bank triple from the top of the key to make it 13-8 with 14:36 left in the 1st half.
The Musketeers continued to press and we able to push their lead to seven on a dunk from Sean O’Mara. At the second media timeout, it was 17-10 Xavier with 11:53 left in the half. Shortly after the media timeout, the Noles’ would have to use one of their timeouts as Trevon Bluiett hit a triple to put the Musketeers up 20-10.
The timeout did not prove to be effective as Bluiett hit a layup and then O’Mara followed it up with a layup and an and-one that make it 25-10 Xavier with 9:24 left to play in the half. It wasn’t until the 9:03 mark that FSU scored a bucket after going nearly 6 minutes without scoring. Then the Noles went on a 10-2 run to cut the Musketeers to just 7 points with 6:14 left in the 1st half.
This forced a Xavier timeout, and right after the timeout, FSU’s PJ Savoy stole the ball, and Jonathan Isaac slammed it home to make it 27-22 with 5:55 left to play and the Noles’ trailing. FSU was able to cut it to just 4 points before J.P. Macura hit a triple for the Musketeers to push their lead back to 7 with 3:43 left in the half.
A short time after, Xavier hit back-to-back triples to push their lead to 9 with 1:30 left in the half. The Musketeers would get their lead back up to 12. However, it was a 10 point lead for them when they went into the locker room at the half as the Noles’ Juarez Smith hit the final basket of the half.
Halfway through it was Sean O’Mara coming off the bench leading the Musketeers in scoring with 9 points. For the Noles’ it was Xavier Rathan-Mayes leading their scorers with 11 points.
Xavier started the second half with the ball but was unable to score on their first possession. The first basket of the second half came from FSU at the free-throw line with Rathan-Mayes hitting 1 of 2 to make it 44-35. Then it was the Musketeers hitting a triple on the other side of the floor to push their lead to 12 points with 19:14 left in the half.
The next 6 minutes were back and forth for both teams as the lead for Xavier fluctuated between 8-12 points. Then with 12:51 left in the half, J.P. Macura hit a triple to make it a 13-point lead, then Kaiser Gates followed suit with a triple of his own to make it 61-45 Musketeers.
After the under 12 media timeout, Bluiett hit a layup for the Musketeers to push the lead to 18. Then it was Gates hitting another triple to push their lead up to 21 points with just 11:19 left in regulation.
The Musketeers would push their lead up to 22 points, and the Noles’ were then able to hit back-to-back triples to cut the deficit to just 18. However, then just as quickly the Muskies were able to push it back to 22 points with 7:13 left to play.
With 3:50 left to play, things were looking bleak for the Seminoles Sweet Sixteen hopes, trailing by 23 points to Xavier. FSU was never able to cut into the lead, and as the final buzzer sounded, it was the Xavier Musketeers punching their ticket to the Sweet Sixteen.