Jack Nunge scored 18 factors, Adam Kunkel added 15 on 5 first-half 3-pointers, and No. 3 seed Xavier beat Eleventh-seeded Pittsburgh 84-73 on Sunday to succeed in its first Candy 16 since 2017.
Colby Jones had 10 factors, 14 rebounds and 7 assists, and Souley Boum and Jerome Hunter every chipped in with 14 factors as all 5 Xavier starters scored in double digits.
Xavier distributed the ball effectively, notably early on with 17 assists on 19 baskets within the first half to construct a 48-34 lead on the break. The Musketeers completed with 22 assists.
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Butler Bulldogs ahead Jalen Thomas (1) in motion throughout the recreation towards the Butler Bulldogs and the Xavier Musketeers on March 4, 2023, on the Cintas Middle in Cincinnati, OH. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)
Xavier (27-9) strikes on to play No. 2 seed Texas on Friday within the Midwest Area semifinals in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri.
Blake Hinson scored 18 factors and Jamarius Burton had 16 for Pitt (24-12).
Nunge set the tone early, dominating the paint with eight factors within the first 10 minutes whereas Jones knocked down two 3s because the Musketeers constructed a 28-18 lead.
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The Musketeers then blew the sport open with a 12-2 run behind Kunkel, who made two 3s and threw an alley-oop dunk to Nunge. Kunkel adopted along with his fifth 3 of the primary half to offer Xavier a 19-point lead with 1:26 left.
Nunge picked up his fourth foul with 9:35 remaining within the recreation and Xavier up by 18, a play that ended with Pitt coach Jeff Capel getting slapped with technical foul that left him barking at officers. Pitt guard Greg Elliott stepped in entrance of his coach and tried to field him out on the scorer’s desk to maintain him from getting a second tech.
The Musketeers managed simply high-quality with out Nunge, pushing the result in 20 with 7:22 remaining on a jumper by Boum.
Jamarius Burton #11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers shoots towards Desmond Claude #1 of the Xavier Musketeers throughout the second half within the second spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Match at The Fieldhouse at Greensboro Coliseum on March 19, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos)
Nunge returned however fouled out with 3:18 left and Xavier up by 14.
Burton minimize the result in 10 with an and-one off a drive via an unprotected lane. Elliott’s 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining trimmed Xavier’s result in eight, however the Panthers didn’t get nearer.
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Pitt: The Panthers received their first two NCAA Match video games since 2014, beating Mississippi State within the First 4 and throttling No. 6 Iowa State within the first spherical. After holding the Cyclones to 41 factors on Friday, Pitt allowed Xavier to attain 42 within the first quarter-hour. It did not assist that huge man Federiko Federiko performed lower than a minute due to a knee downside.
Xavier: Sean Miller has the Musketeers headed in the proper route within the first season of his second stint as their coach. After needing to return again from 13 down within the second half to beat 14 seed Kennesaw State, the Musketeers left little question about this one, popping out centered and able to play.
Jack Nunge #24 of the Xavier Musketeers reacts throughout the second half towards the Pittsburgh Panthers within the second spherical of the NCAA Males’s Basketball Match at The Fieldhouse at Greensboro Coliseum on March 19, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos)
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Xavier will face a Longhorns workforce that has received six straight video games.