(Orlando, FL) – Although FSU came into the contest from a more heralded conference and higher ranking in the West Region, it was Xavier who showed dominance on the court Saturday night. The 11th seeded Musketeers executed an almost-perfect game plan to defeat the 3rd seeded Seminoles as they advance to the Sweet 16, with the score of 91-66. Much credit is due to Junior guard Trevon Blueitt’s performance, going 8 for 14 from the field, with a total of 29 points. “I didn’t really do anything different this game, just playing hard, playing to win…and trying to find holes in their defense. Just letting the shots come to me and following the game plan,” Blueitt said after the game.
Xavier Head Coach, Chris Mack, was very proud of his team’s performance. “They earned it. Our team’s gone through a lot of adversity this year…and we stayed the course.” The Xavier Musketeers shot nearly 65% from beyond the arc, going 11 for 17. The Seminoles struggled and went 4 for 21 from the 3-point range, a statistic that has plagued the Seminoles throughout the year. “We’ve been a very inconsistent 3-point shooting team this year, and obviously, they knew that.” FSU head coach Leonard Hamilton said. “We determined that if we were going to win, we would have to hit from the perimeter, and they did a good job denying that,” he added.
Xavier will continue to play in the tournament against the 2nd seeded Arizona Wildcats Thursday night in the semi-final game in the West Region in San Jose, CA.
Written By:
Adrian Manguit, Eagle News Service US, Florida Bureau
