ST. LOUIS — Aft𒅌e🎀r watching Michigan State, the No.2 seed in the Midwest Region, lose to 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee on the same court earlier in the day, Xavier (28-5), seeded No. 2 in the East Region, couldn’t take anything for granted when it played No. 15 seed Weber State on Friday night.
Still there were some anxious moments before the Musketeers claimed a tougher than it sounds 71-53 victory in a first-round game at Scottrade Center. James Farr led Xavier with 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Jalen Reynolds had 12 points and Remy Abell had 11 as the Big Ea🌺st team advanced to a second-round ga𒁃me against Wisconsin on Sunday. The winner will earn a spot in the Sweet 16.
Joe Bolombဣoy had 14 points for Weber State, the Big Sky Tournament champions.
“I just didn’t want to go home,” Farr said. “I wanted to s⛄et the tone. We’re glad to get this game. But we’re nowhere near our goal.”
Xavier’s inside tandem of the 6-foot-10 Farr and the 6-🐻foot-10 Reynolds eventually wore down the smaller Wildcats, who finish🌞ed their season 26-9.
“I didn’t worry about a letdown♐,” Xavier coa💧ch Chris Mack said. “I worried about Weber State playing at a high level.”
Xavier led 34-23 at halftime, but Weber State would not go aཧway ཧquietly, trailing by seven points with 13:42 to play. But after Reynolds muscled in for a short lay-in off the glass and Trevon Bluiett (10 points) splashed a jumper from the corner, it gave Xavier some breathing room at 62-49 with six minutes remaining.
Later, J.P. Macura shook free on an inbound play and dropped in a basket for a 64-49 edge with 4:15 to play. Any hopes of a Webe🥂r State upset essentially were done after that run.
Next is Wisconsin.
“We know that our 🍌coaches do a good job of scouting,” Xavier’s Kaiser Gates said. “We will wait for them to get word to us and take it from there.”