Xavier holds on for 63-60 win over Niagara
CINCINNATI (AP) Paul Scruggs had 17 points and six assists and Xavier Musketeers held off Niagara Purple Eagles 63-60 on Tuesday night in a season opener.
Colby Jones had 16 points for Xavier. Jerome Hunter added nine rebounds.
Marcus Hammond had 25 points and six rebounds for the Purple Eagles. Noah Thomasson added 11 points.
---
For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25
---
This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com
Copyright 2025 STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
1st Half

NIAG
Purple Eagles

XAV
Musketeers
| Time | Team | Play | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | — | — | — |
| Min. Per Game | ||
| Pts. Per Game | ||
| Ast. Per Game | ||
| Reb. Per Game | ||
| Field Goal % | ||
| Three Point % | ||
| Free Throw % |
| Team Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Points | 60 | 63 |
| Field Goals | 21-53 (39.6%) | 21-56 (37.5%) |
| 3-Pointers | 7-18 (38.9%) | 8-27 (29.6%) |
| Free Throws | 11-12 (91.7%) | 13-21 (61.9%) |
| Total Rebounds | 31 | 39 |
| Offensive | 5 | 11 |
| Defensive | 23 | 28 |
| Team | 3 | 0 |
| Assists | 6 | 13 |
| Steals | 6 | 11 |
| Blocks | 2 | 4 |
| Turnovers | 16 | 13 |
| Fouls | 17 | 15 |
| Technicals | 0 | 0 |
| Top Scorers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Hammond G | 25 PTS | 6 REB | 1 AST | ||
| P. Scruggs G | 17 PTS | 5 REB | 6 AST | ||
| Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
| M. Hammond | 25 | 6 | 1 | 9/17 | 4/10 | 3/3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| N. Thomasson | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3/10 | 2/4 | 3/4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| J. Cintron | 8 | 6 | 0 | 4/7 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| R. Brown III | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| S. Iorio | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/6 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
| M. Hammond | 25 | 6 | 1 | 9/17 | 4/10 | 3/3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| N. Thomasson | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3/10 | 2/4 | 3/4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| J. Cintron | 8 | 6 | 0 | 4/7 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| R. Brown III | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/3 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| S. Iorio | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/6 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
| J. Roberts | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1/2 | 1/2 | 3/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| G. Kuakumensah | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2/5 | 0/0 | 2/2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| N. Kratholm | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S. Brown | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| S. Levnaic | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| T. Traore | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| J. Mackey | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| T. Hill | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 60 | 28 | 6 | 21/53 | 7/18 | 11/12 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 23 |
| Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
| P. Scruggs | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6/12 | 3/6 | 2/3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| C. Jones | 16 | 5 | 4 | 5/14 | 2/7 | 4/7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| D. Miles | 9 | 7 | 0 | 4/5 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| J. Hunter | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1/8 | 1/4 | 4/4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| N. Johnson | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1/7 | 1/4 | 0/0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Starters | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
| P. Scruggs | 17 | 5 | 6 | 6/12 | 3/6 | 2/3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| C. Jones | 16 | 5 | 4 | 5/14 | 2/7 | 4/7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| D. Miles | 9 | 7 | 0 | 4/5 | 0/0 | 1/2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| J. Hunter | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1/8 | 1/4 | 4/4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| N. Johnson | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1/7 | 1/4 | 0/0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Bench | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | STL | BLK | TO | OREB | DREB |
| J. Nunge | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2/3 | 1/2 | 2/4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| A. Kunkel | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1/4 | 0/3 | 0/0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| D. Odom | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1/3 | 0/1 | 0/1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| E. Tucker | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| C. Edwards | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| B. Stanley | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Z. Swetye | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| R. Singh | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| K. Tandy | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Z. Freemantle | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| S. Cody | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Total | 63 | 39 | 13 | 21/56 | 8/27 | 13/21 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 13 | 11 | 28 |