Unbeaten at home, Goodin leads Xavier to a rout of Marquette
CINCINNATI » Point guard Quentin Goodin scored 13 of his team-high 15 points while No. 8 Xavier took control in the first half, and the Musketeers routed Marquette 8970 on Wednesday night to remain unbeaten at home.
The Musketeers (19-3, 7-2 Big East) surged ahead by 26 and were never threatened as they beat the Golden Eagles for the second time this season. Xavier has won eight of the last 10 games between the schools.
Trevon Bluiett scored 13 and became the fifth Musketeers player with 2,000 career points.
Markus Howard had 33 for Marquette (13-7, 4-4), which entered second in the nation in 3-pointers. But the Golden Eagles went only 6 of 23 from outside the arc, matching their season low for 3s. SOUTH CAROLINA 77, FLORIDA 72 » Wesley Myers scored a seasonhigh 22 points, Chris Silva added a double-double and South Carolina upset Florida.
Silva finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who won the Elite Eight rematch from last year’s NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina knocked off the Gators in that one thanks to 42 points in the paint. Coach Frank Martin’s team won this one from the 3-point line.
The Gamecocks (13-7, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) hit 11 of 21 shots from beyond the arc, matching their most 3s all season. Myers was 5 of 7 from 3-point range, taking advantage of the league’s worst team at defending the 3.
The Gators (14-6, 6-2) led by 11 in the first half and were up 48-39 early in the second. But they had no answer for Myers outside and Silva down low. RHODE ISLAND 78, FORDHAM 58 » Andre Berry scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting, Jared Terrell had 17 points and six assists, and Rhode Island cruised past Fordham at historic Rose Hill Gym.
Stan Robinson added 16 points, seven steals and six rebounds for the newly ranked Rams (16-3, 8-0 Atlantic 10), who moved into the AP Top 25 this week for the first time since November 2016. Rhode Island has won 11 straight games for the first time in 70 years.
Fordham (6-14, 1-7) was led by Will Tavares, who had 17 points and 13 assists.