Villanova Wildcats vs. Xavier Musketeers live stream info, start time, TV channel: How to watch NCAA Basketball on TV, stream online

How to watch Villanova vs. Xavier basketball game

By Scout Staff

Jan 3, 2024 at 9:41 pm ET • 3 min read

Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Villanova and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. Sitting on a score of 34-29, they have looked like the better team, but there's still one more half to play.

Villanova entered the matchup having won three straight and they're just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will Xavier step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

Xavier Musketeers @ Villanova Wildcats

Current Records: Xavier 7-6, Villanova 9-4

How To Watch

When: Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Finneran Pavilion -- Villanova, Pennsylvania
TV: Fox Sports 1
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $50.00

What to Know

Xavier is 2-8 against Villanova since February of 2018 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. After both having extra time off, the two teams will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 8:30 p.m. ET on January 3rd at Finneran Pavilion. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up 13 more assists than your opponent, a fact Xavier proved last Saturday. Everything went their way against the Pirates as the Musketeers made off with a 74-54 victory.

Xavier's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Abou Ousmane, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Ousmane has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Quincy Olivari, who scored 29 points along with seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, Villanova entered their tilt with DePaul with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. The Wildcats put a hurting on the Blue Demons on the road to the tune of 84-48. That 36 points margin sets a new team best for Villanova this season.

Hakim Hart was the offensive standout of the contest as he scored 20 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season.

The Musketeers pushed their record up to 7-6 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 77.7 points per game. As for the Wildcats, their victory bumped their record up to 9-4.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Xavier have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 40.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Villanova struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Xavier and Villanova were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in February of 2023, but Xavier came up empty-handed after a 64-63 loss. Can Xavier avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.