CINCINNATI – Despite a career performance from sophomore guard Primo Spears, the Hoyas could not keep up with the No. 8/8 Xavier University Musketeers, falling 95-82 Saturday afternoon at Cintas Center. Spears tallied a career-high 37 points to go along with 11 assists, matching his career best, for the first double-double of his career.
 
ON THE RECORD
"Last time we played them, we scored 89 points. Today, we scored 82 points. If you're getting that type of offensive output, you should be able to win. Our defense is letting us down right now … We have to be able to get stops when we need to get stops." - Head Coach Patrick Ewing on today's game
 
"I thought he took the challenge, made some great shots, made some good plays - forced it a little at times but we needed to be able to score to at least be in the game." - Ewing on Spears' career performance
 
HOYA HIGHLIGHTS

• Spears connected on a career-best 15 field goals, including a trio of triples, for his career-best 37 points. His previous best was 34 points against La Salle on March 5 in Duquesne's regular season finale. The sophomore added 11 assists, tying his career best, for the first double-double of his career. His 11 helpers matches what the Hartford, Connecticut native dished out at DePaul on December 29. His 15 made field goals bests his previous high of 12, achieved in the final two games of his freshman season with the Dukes.
• Akok Akok also had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to go along with a trio of blocks, a pair of assists and one steal. His 14 points was on an efficient 6-of-9 performance from the floor and a perfect 2-for-2 effort from  the charity stripe.
• Qudus Wahab was flawless from the floor at 4-for-4 to go along with a 2-for-2 effort from the free throw line for 10 points to round out those in double figures. He also added a trio of blocks and a pair of helpers. . 
• Georgetown (5-15, 0-9 BIG EAST) shot 50.0% (31-62) on the day but allowed the Musketeers to shoot 54.9% (39-71).
• XU owned the battle on the glass, outrebounding the Hoyas 38-31.  

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• No. 8 Xavier (16-4, 8-1 BE) jumped out to a quick start, leading by 11 (24-13) but 11-straight from the Blue & Gray fueled by triples from Jordan Riley, Wayne Bristol Jr. and Spears knotted the game at 24.
• The Musketeers would pull ahead but it was Riley and Spears again, connecting on a pair of buckets to pull GU within four (35-31) with 5:29 to play.
• Georgetown staged a 7-3 mini run with a pair of buckets from Akok, including a backwards dunk, and capped by a Bryson Mozone triple to knot the score at 38.
• XU would use a 7-1 spurt to take a 45-39 advantage into the locker room.
• The Hoyas came out quick in the second half with a pair of Wahab buckets sandwiching a Spears jumper and a pair of Akok free throws to close an 8-3 run and pull GU within one (48-47).
• However, the momentum swung back to the Musketeers with the lead ballooning to nine before a 3-pointer from Spears would make it a two-possession game (57-51) again.
• GU continued to close within a pair of possessions but Xavier was able to stave off the Hoyas, forcing GU to call a timeout when the Musketeers extended the lead to double digits (69-59).
• Out of the huddle, a Bradley Ezewiro traditional three-point play cut the deficit to seven (69-62) but that's as close as the Hoyas would get as XU went on to seal the game, 95-82 at the final whistle.

 
UP NEXT
The Blue & Gray returns to Capital One Arena on Tuesday, January 24 when they host the DePaul University Blue Demons. Tipoff at Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network. Fans can hear the radio call of Rich Chvotkin, in his 49th season as the Voice of the Hoyas, locally on 99.1 FM and Sirius XM 384.