Butler Bulldogs vs Xavier Musketeers
Claude's 26 lead Xavier past Butler 76-72 in Big East Conference Tournament
NEW YORK -- — Desmond Claude had 26 points in Xavier's 76-72 victory over Butler on Wednesday in the Big East Conference Tournament.
Xavier (16-16) will face No. 2 UConn on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
Claude also had five rebounds for the Musketeers. Dayvion McKnight added 20 points while going 8 of 12 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) while he also had five rebounds and four steals. Quincy Olivari had 19 points and shot 7 of 19 from the field, including 3 for 13 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 3 from the line.
Pierre Brooks finished with 21 points for the Bulldogs (18-14). Jalen Thomas added 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for Butler. Posh Alexander also had 14 points and five assists.
McKnight's 16-point second half helped Xavier close out the four-point victory.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Game Information
New York, NY
Referee:Pat Driscoll
Referee:Brian O'Connell
Referee:Evon Burroughs
2025-26 Standings
| Big East Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| UConn | 8-0 | - | 18-1 |
| St. John's | 6-1 | 1.5 | 13-5 |
| Villanova | 5-2 | 2.5 | 14-4 |
| Creighton | 5-3 | 3 | 11-8 |
| Seton Hall | 4-3 | 3.5 | 14-4 |
| DePaul | 3-4 | 4.5 | 11-7 |
| Xavier | 3-4 | 4.5 | 11-7 |
| Butler | 2-5 | 5.5 | 11-7 |
| Providence | 2-6 | 6 | 9-10 |
| Marquette | 2-7 | 6.5 | 7-13 |
| Georgetown | 1-6 | 6.5 | 9-9 |
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