Xavier beats Pitt 84-73, reaches 1st Sweet 16 since 2017

YEAH. THEY CALL THEMSELVES THE OFFICIAL LOCATION FOR THE FIT PANTHERS WATCH PARTY HERE. SHORTIES HEADS AND TIGHT ON THE NORTH SHORE. AND THIS IS WHERE FOLKS ARE GATHERED IN LARGE NUMBERS, EARLY TO START THE GAME. AND THERE’S STILL PRETTY MUCH STUFF GLUED TO THE TELEVISION ALL THE WAY DOWN THE WALL TOWARDS THE BACK END OF THE RESTAURANT HERE. BUT WHEN THE PITT PANTHERS GOT OUT TO THAT 19 TO LEAD EVERYONE WAS EXCITED. AND IT WAS SO HAPPY FOR THE SECOND HALF. THAT’S NOW ONLY AN EIGHT POINT GAME. BUT HERE’S WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING ABOUT THAT FIRST HALF. START BY THE PANTHERS. VERY HAPPY. IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD, SUPPOSEDLY FOR IOWA STATE BEING A GOOD DEFENSIVE TEAM. THEY HAVEN’T REALLY DONE TOO MUCH. SO IT’S SHOOTING THE BALL WELL AND HOLDING THEIR OWN. ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT PITT STARTED OFF SO STRONGLY? NO. I AM SO HAPPY, BUT NOT SURPRISED. I WAS READY FOR THIS. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO HAPPEN IN THE REST OF THE GAME? OH, THEY’RE GOING TO WIN. I HAVE THEM BEATEN. PENN STATE IN TWO ROUNDS, SO THEY’RE GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE ELITE EIGHT. AT LEAST YOU’RE OKAY. SO FAR, THE PANTHERS ARE GIVING FANS A REASON TO STAY OPTIMISTIC HERE THIS SECOND HALF, AS THEY NOW ENJOY AN 11 POINT LEAD AGAINST IOWA STATE AND WILL BE BACK AT 6:00 WITH MORE REACTION FROM THE END OF THE GAME. WELL, SOME OF THE PITT PANTHERS HERE, PANTHER FANS HERE AT SHORTY’S PINS AND PINTS FOR THE NORT

Jack Nunge scored 18 points, Adam Kunkel added 15 on five first-half 3-pointers, and No. 3 seed Xavier beat 11th-seeded Pittsburgh 84-73 on Sunday to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2017.Colby Jones had 10 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and Souley Boum and Jerome Hunter each chipped in with 14 points as all five Xavier starters scored in double digits.Xavier distributed the ball well, particularly early on with 17 assists on 19 baskets in the first half to build a 48-34 lead at the break. The Musketeers finished with 22 assists.Xavier (27-9) moves on to play No. 2 seed Texas on Friday in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri.Blake Hinson scored 18 points and Jamarius Burton had 16 for Pitt (24-12).Nunge set the tone early, dominating the paint with eight points in the first 10 minutes while Jones knocked down two 3s as the Musketeers built a 28-18 lead.The Musketeers then blew the game open with a 12-2 run behind Kunkel, who made two 3s and threw an alley-oop dunk to Nunge. Kunkel followed with his fifth 3 of the first half to give Xavier a 19-point lead with 1:26 left.Nunge picked up his fourth foul with 9:35 remaining in the game and Xavier up by 18, a play that ended with Pitt coach Jeff Capel getting slapped with technical foul that left him barking at officials. Pitt guard Greg Elliott stepped in front of his coach and tried to box him out at the scorer's table to keep him from getting a second tech.The Musketeers managed just fine without Nunge, pushing the lead to 20 with 7:22 remaining on a jumper by Boum.Nunge returned but fouled out with 3:18 left and Xavier up by 14.Burton cut the lead to 10 with an and-one off a drive through an unprotected lane. Elliott's 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining trimmed Xavier's lead to eight, but the Panthers did not get closer.BIG PICTUREPitt: The Panthers won their first two NCAA Tournament games since 2014, beating Mississippi State in the First Four and throttling No. 6 Iowa State in the first round. After holding the Cyclones to 41 points on Friday, Pitt allowed Xavier to score 42 in the first 15 minutes. It didn't help that big man Federiko Federiko played less than a minute because of a knee problem.Xavier: Sean Miller has the Musketeers headed in the right direction in the first season of his second stint as their coach. After needing to come back from 13 down in the second half to beat 14 seed Kennesaw State, the Musketeers left no doubt about this one, coming out focused and ready to play.UP NEXTXavier will face a Longhorns team that has won six straight games.___AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

GREENSBORO, N.C. —

Jack Nunge scored 18 points, Adam Kunkel added 15 on five first-half 3-pointers, and No. 3 seed Xavier beat 11th-seeded Pittsburgh 84-73 on Sunday to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2017.

Colby Jones had 10 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, and Souley Boum and Jerome Hunter each chipped in with 14 points as all five Xavier starters scored in double digits.

Xavier distributed the ball well, particularly early on with 17 assists on 19 baskets in the first half to build a 48-34 lead at the break. The Musketeers finished with 22 assists.

Xavier (27-9) moves on to play No. 2 seed Texas on Friday in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri.

Blake Hinson scored 18 points and Jamarius Burton had 16 for Pitt (24-12).

Nunge set the tone early, dominating the paint with eight points in the first 10 minutes while Jones knocked down two 3s as the Musketeers built a 28-18 lead.

The Musketeers then blew the game open with a 12-2 run behind Kunkel, who made two 3s and threw an alley-oop dunk to Nunge. Kunkel followed with his fifth 3 of the first half to give Xavier a 19-point lead with 1:26 left.

Nunge picked up his fourth foul with 9:35 remaining in the game and Xavier up by 18, a play that ended with Pitt coach Jeff Capel getting slapped with technical foul that left him barking at officials. Pitt guard Greg Elliott stepped in front of his coach and tried to box him out at the scorer's table to keep him from getting a second tech.

The Musketeers managed just fine without Nunge, pushing the lead to 20 with 7:22 remaining on a jumper by Boum.

Nunge returned but fouled out with 3:18 left and Xavier up by 14.

Burton cut the lead to 10 with an and-one off a drive through an unprotected lane. Elliott's 3-pointer with 1:45 remaining trimmed Xavier's lead to eight, but the Panthers did not get closer.

BIG PICTURE

Pitt: The Panthers won their first two NCAA Tournament games since 2014, beating Mississippi State in the First Four and throttling No. 6 Iowa State in the first round. After holding the Cyclones to 41 points on Friday, Pitt allowed Xavier to score 42 in the first 15 minutes. It didn't help that big man Federiko Federiko played less than a minute because of a knee problem.

Xavier: Sean Miller has the Musketeers headed in the right direction in the first season of his second stint as their coach. After needing to come back from 13 down in the second half to beat 14 seed Kennesaw State, the Musketeers left no doubt about this one, coming out focused and ready to play.

UP NEXT

Xavier will face a Longhorns team that has won six straight games.

___

AP March Madness coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness and bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Xavier beats Pitt 84-73, reaches 1st Sweet 16 since 2017

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