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Big East Basketball: UConn, Seton Hall remains in hunt of latest power rankings

By Salvador Lopez

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 01: The Big East logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Seton Hall Pirates at the Prudential Center on February 1, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 01: The Big East logo on the floor before a college basketball game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Seton Hall Pirates at the Prudential Center on February 1, 2020 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Big East Basketball Colby Jones Xavier Musketeers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Big East Basketball Colby Jones Xavier Musketeers (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

5. Xavier Musketeers (10-2, 3-2 Big East)

The Musketeers won a thriller on Sunday over Providence thanks to the dagger three-point shot by freshman guard, Colby Jones (6.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.1 apg), with one-tenth of a second remaining.

Xavier showed no quit on Sunday and came back from a seven-point deficit in the final minute to close out the game on an 8-0 run to win 74-73.

The big key for Xavier’s comeback was forcing turnovers and knocking down three-point shots. The Musketeers forced the Friars to turnover the basketball on their last two possessions, while Xavier made their final three shots from the floor to stun Providence.

Xavier’s victory over Providence gave the Musketeers some separation ahead of Providence in the rankings, while also giving the Musketeers some encouraging backcourt hope for the future.

Heading into last Sunday’s matchup, Xavier struggled from three-point range shooting 0-for-12 from the perimeter against St. John’s. However, the Musketeers got hot from the outside late and was able to close out the victory on Sunday.

Sunday’s hero, Colby Jones, has been on a roll as of late, scoring a career-high 16 points against St. John’s and making the biggest shot of his career to finish with nine points in his last game.

After going 0-for-6 from the floor with just six points against St. John’s, sophomore forward, Zach Freemantle (15.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg), bounced back and led Xavier on Sunday with 17 points and eight rebounds.

One of the keys to Xavier’s 10-2 start has been their depth on the roster, and it showed on Sunday. The Musketeers currently have nine players who are averaging at least six points per game this season. Xavier had nine players who managed to score against Providence.

Xavier is 5-0 this season in games decided by three points or less.

The Musketeers were scheduled to play Seton Hall on Saturday. However, that matchup has been postponed due to COVID-19 within Xavier’s program.

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