Xavier @ Marquette preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 26, 2019 ) Marquette 87, Xavier 82

When Xavier and Marquette collide Wednesday in Big East play, one of the teams is going to suffer its fourth loss in five games. The visiting Musketeers absorbed a 12-point loss to Creighton their last time out, while the Golden Eagles fell at Seton Hall by 14 points on Saturday.

Marquette set a season low in points in the 69-55 defeat to the Pirates, making just 32.7 percent of its shots and committing 14 turnovers as well. "In the Big East, you have to put together a 40-minute game," coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "We have to figure out ways to put a complete game together." Xavier can certainly relate to that, as the team missed 21 of its 26 3-point attempts against Creighton while its bench combined for five total points on 2-of-14 shooting. "We were getting good looks, but we can't rely on 3s," forward Naji Marshall said. "We have to be a defensive-minded team. We let our offense dictate our defense tonight. We need to learn to play a full 40 minutes."

TIME: 8 p.m. ET. TV: FSN

ABOUT XAVIER (12-5, 1-3 Big East): The Musketeers received 40 combined points from Marshall (21) and Paul Scruggs (19) in the loss to Creighton, while the rest of the team combined for 25 points. Marshall finished with nine rebounds and seven assists - both figures matching his season high - in addition to his 21 points, while Scruggs has scored in double figures in 15 of the 17 games this season. Tyrique Jones also has scored in double digits in 15 of 17 games but has just 14 rebounds in the last two games after a stretch of double-digit boards in five consecutive outings.

ABOUT MARQUETTE (11-5, 1-3): Markus Howard is the engine that makes Marquette go, as the senior guard averages 26.8 points in 29.3 minutes while shooting nearly 44 percent from 3-point range. Howard has made at least three 3-pointers in seven straight games and is 24-of-25 from the foul line over the last three contests. Sacar Anim is second on the team in scoring with an average of 12 points per game, but he is just 5-of-20 from the field in the last two outings and has scored in single digits in three straight games after doing so just three times all season prior to this stretch.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. In the last three games, Xavier G Quentin Goodin is 2-of-20 from the field.

2. Marquette won both meetings between the teams last season.

3. Against Seton Hall, 49 of Marquette's 52 field goal attempts came from the starters.

PREDICTION: Marquette 73, Xavier 67