INDIANAPOLIS — Xavier held off a Butler comeback attempt in the second half for a 68-55 win Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Musketeers had not played in three weeks because of COVID issues, but they were anything but rusty. Xavier led by 12 points at halftime and 20 with 15-minutes to go in the game.
That's when the Bulldogs began their comeback, cutting the lead to four points with 6:30 left, before Xavier's offense came back to life for a 13 point win.
If there was a bright spot for Butler, it was the play of Bo Hodges, a transfer from East Tennessee State who played his first game for the Bulldogs after being ruled eligible by the NCAA. Hodges finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
Butler was held to 34% shooting while the Musketeers shot 51%. Bryce Nze was the leading Bulldog scorer with 16 points.
Paul Scruggs, a Southport High School graduate, was the Musketeers hot shooter with 24 points.
The Bulldogs fall to 5-9 overall and 4-7 in the big East. Xavier is 11-2 for the season and 4-2 in conference play.
