MU's Big East run ends at hands of Xavier

Four Marquette players scored in double figures, but it wasn't enough to stop the fifth-ranked Xavier Musketeers Thursday night in New York.

The tone for MU's 90-72 loss was set early when Xavier went on a 15-4 run to start the game. The Golden Eagles leaned heavily on JaJuan Johnson, who scored a team-high 19 points in 32 minutes, and Haanif Cheatham, who played 38 minutes and scored 14. Henry Ellenson managed 14 points, but only three rebounds, and MU struggled from three-point range, hitting just 17% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Xavier will advance to the Big East semifinals Friday. Marquette awaits their tournament fate this Sunday, with many experts projecting an NIT appearance.