The Big East’s top team will be on the road when the No. 7 Xavier Musketeers (15-1) head to the Bradley Center to challenge the Marquette Golden Eagles (12-5). Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 16 and can be seen on FS1.
The Golden Eagles are hoping to rebound after their 83-68 loss to Villanova on Wednesday. Traci Carter had a solid performance, recording 10 points, five assists, and three steals for Marquette. The Musketeers, meanwhile, are coming off an 84-64 win against DePaul on Tuesday. Trevon Bluiett led the game in scoring by registering 24 points on 7-for-14 shooting.
Trips to the foul line may prove key for the Musketeers in this one. They’re ranked 14th in the nation in FTA rate (47.2), while Marquette is among the best at keeping opponents off of the charity stripe (ranking third by allowing a FTA rate of 24.4).
Notes
In its last game, Xavier won by a margin of 20 points. Marquette is 5-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Xavier has a 7-1 record in blowouts.
The Xavier Musketeers rank 30th for their offensive rating of 115.1. The Marquette Golden Eagles have a defensive rating of 96.4 (ranked 59th).
The Xavier Musketeers average a field goal percentage of 45.5% this season. The Marquette Golden Eagles have a losing record of 1-2 when opponents have a FG% of 45.5% or greater.
The Marquette Golden Eagles rank higher based on their field goal percentage (76th) than their effective field goal percentage (103rd). The Xavier Musketeers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (96th) than their field goal percentage (100th).
Marquette ranks among the best in the nation in assists at 21st (17.4 assists per game). Xavier is ranked 62nd with 15.8 assists per game.
Marquette, the 53rd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.9 per game. Xavier does worse, ranked 170th with 3.5.
Marquette ranks 246th in offensive rebounds, while Xavier ranks 49th in defensive rebounds.
Making 8.6 steals per game, Marquette is ranked 19th in the country. Xavier has a winning 3-1 record when it gives up at least 8 steals.
