BLUIETT BUOYS NO. 5 XAVIER PAST BUTLER

INDIANAPOLIS» Trevon Bluiett scored 17 of his 26 points in the final 14½ minutes of regulation and overtime Tuesday night to help No. 5 Xavier rally to beat Butler 98-93.

Kerem Kanter added 22 points, including the go-ahead basket with 2:56 left in overtime, which started a decisive 5-0 run. The Musketeers (22-3, 10-2 Big East) have won seven straight overall and three in a row in the series.

Kelan Martin had 34 points and Sean McDermott finished with 17 to lead the Bulldogs (17-8, 7-5), whose four-game winning streak was snapped.

Just barely, though, in a topsyturvy game.

Butler erased an 18-point firsthalf deficit and led 62-56 when Bluiett, playing his final college game in his hometown, turned it up. He scored eight points in a 16-6 spurt that gave Xavier a 7268 cushion.

But the Bulldogs clawed out of a seven-point hole in a 46-second span to tie it at 84 on Kamar Baldwin’s 3-pointer with 13 seconds to go.

Kanter’s layup in overtime gave Xavier an 89-88 lead, and Bluiett scored the next six points for the Musketeers.

TUESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Ryan Swan and Sid Tomes both scored 18 points to lead Air Force past Colorado State 78-73. Anthony Bonner hit a 3-pointer to pull the Rams (10-16 overall, 3-10 Mountain West) within six points at 73-67 with 3:01 left, and Nico Caravacho’s layup with 1:42 to go shaved the Falcons’ (9-13, 3-7) lead back down to six but Air Force kept CSU at by down the stretch by making free throws. Caravacho and Che Bob led the Rams with 16 points each. … Miles Bridges had 25 points and a crucial steal with five seconds left and fourth-ranked Michigan State rallied past Iowa 96-93 for its seventh straight win. Nick Ward added 17 points and Joshua Langford had 15 for the Spartans. … Kyle Washington scored 13 points, Gary Clark added 12, and No. 6 Cincinnati gave another dominating defensive performance, beating Central Florida 77-40 for its 15th straight win. … Devonte’ Graham scored 24 points, Udoka Azubuike added 16 and No. 10 Kansas beat TCU 71-64. … Lamonte Turner scored 16 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 26 seconds remaining, Admiral Schofield followed with a dunk off a turnover and No. 15 Tennessee edged No. 24 Kentucky 61-59 for its sixth consecutive victory. The Volunteers ran down the shot clock in the final minute before Turner fired from long range for the go-ahead basket in a tight game featuring 17 lead changes and 13 ties. … Bryant McIntosh tied a season high with 24 points, and Northwestern beat No. 20 Michigan 61-52. … Landry Shamet scored 20 points to lead No. 22

past