Xavier beats Pitt 84-73, reaches first Sweet 16 since 2017

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Jack Nunge scored 18points, Adam Kunkel added 15 on five first-half 3-pointers, and No.3 seed Xavier beat 11th-seeded Pittsburgh 84-73 on Sunday to reachits first Sweet 16 since 2017.

Colby Jones had 10 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, andSouley Boum and Jerome Hunter each chipped in with 14 points as allfive Xavier starters scored in double digits.

Xavier distributed the ball well, particularly early on with 17assists on 19 baskets in the first half to build a 48-34 lead atthe break. The Musketeers finished with 22 assists.

Xavier (27-9) moves on to play No. 2 seed Texas on Friday in theMidwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri.

Blake Hinson scored 18 points and Jamarius Burton had 16 forPitt (24-12).

Nunge set the tone early, dominating the paint with eight pointsin the first 10 minutes while Jones knocked down two 3s as theMusketeers built a 28-18 lead.

The Musketeers then blew the game open with a 12-2 run behindKunkel, who made two 3s and threw an alley-oop dunk to Nunge.Kunkel followed with his fifth 3 of the first half to give Xavier a19-point lead with 1:26 left.

Nunge picked up his fourth foul with 9:35 remaining in the gameand Xavier up by 18, a play that ended with Pitt coach Jeff Capelgetting slapped with technical foul that left him barking atofficials. Pitt guard Greg Elliott stepped in front of his coachand tried to box him out at the scorer’s table to keep him fromgetting a second tech.

The Musketeers managed just fine without Nunge, pushing the leadto 20 with 7:22 remaining on a jumper by Boum.

Nunge returned but fouled out with 3:18 left and Xavier up by14.

Burton cut the lead to 10 with an and-one off a drive through anunprotected lane. Elliott’s 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining trimmedXavier’s lead to eight, but the Panthers did not get closer.

BIG PICTURE

Pitt: The Panthers won their first two NCAA Tournament gamessince 2014, beating Mississippi State in the First Four andthrottling No. 6 Iowa State in the first round. After holding theCyclones to 41 points on Friday, Pitt allowed Xavier to score 42 inthe first 15 minutes. It didn’t help that big man Federiko Federikoplayed less than a minute because of a knee problem.

Xavier: Sean Miller has the Musketeers headed in the rightdirection in the first season of his second stint as their coach.After needing to come back from 13 down in the second half to beat14 seed Kennesaw State, the Musketeers left no doubt about thisone, coming out focused and ready to play.

UP NEXT

Xavier will face a Longhorns team that has won six straightgames.