Xavier will face its first true road test of the season when it visits Oklahoma State on Sunday in Stillwater, Okla., as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle.
The Musketeers (6-1) are looking to reclaim a spot in the Top 25 after back-to-back wins, while the Cowboys (6-2) are coming off a loss at home against Wichita State on Wednesday.
Nate Johnson leads Xavier on the offensive end. After hitting the game-winning shot in a victory over Virginia Tech last week, Johnson scored 24 points and shot 5 of 8 from 3-point range to lead the Musketeers to a comfortable 78-45 win at home against Central Michigan on Wednesday.
Johnson averages a team-high 14.6 points per game, but he’s been on a roll the past two games with a combined 54 points on 12-of-19 shooting from 3-point range.
“Nothing different really, my teammates are looking for me like they usually do,” Johnson said. “I’ve just been working on my game really, glad I’m able to showcase it.”
The Musketeers stormed out to a 23-3 lead and scored 24 points off 21 turnovers. Colby Jones, who is averaging 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, finished with nine points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Oklahoma State’s 21 turnovers contributed to its late-game collapse against Wichita State, which snapped a five-game winning streak.
Avery Anderson III scored a team-high 17 points but the Cowboys failed to score over the final two minutes and 53 seconds, turning the ball over three times and missing all seven shots during that stretch.
The Cowboys struggled with the Shockers’ zone defense, shooting 37.5 percent from the field. They also missed 10 of their 19 attempts from the free throw line.
No Oklahoma State player is scoring in double figures this season. Bryce Thompson leads the Cowboys with 9.8 points per game while Anderson and Kalib Boone both average 9.3 points.
“Sometimes you get guys pressing to make plays while they’re out there and I think that happened tonight,” said Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton.
–Field Level Media
