Xavier @ Providence preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 23, 2019 ) Providence 64, Xavier 62

Providence was fortunate to escape with a win in its first meeting with Xavier. The rematch takes place Saturday, when the Friars host the Musketeers in Big East action.

Providence and Xavier enter this matchup tied for last place in the conference standings, but the first meeting was a close one that turned exciting down the stretch. The Friars led by 10 points with less than four minutes left before holding on for a two-point victory, prompting coach Ed Cooley tell reporters: "Sometimes you've got to get lucky, and I thought we were really lucky to come out of here with a win." The Friars have not been as fortunate of late, losing four of their last five, including an 18-point defeat against Villanova their last time out. The Musketeers, meanwhile, snapped a six-game skid with a hard-fought overtime win over Creighton on Wednesday.

TV: 2 p.m. ET, FOX

ABOUT XAVIER (12-13, 4-8 Big East): Naji Marshall provided the heroics against Creighton, draining two late 3-pointers to help force overtime before adding four of the team's five points in the extra session. The sophomore forward leads the team in scoring (13.8), although Paul Scruggs (12.6), Quentin Goodin (11.9) and Tyrique Jones (11.0) aren't far behind. Scruggs paced the team with 14 points in the first meeting with Providence, but is looking to bounce back after a quiet effort (three points in 27 minutes) against Creighton.

ABOUT PROVIDENCE (14-11, 4-8): The Friars hung in there for a half against Villanova, but ultimately they were doomed by 6-of-21 3-point shooting and 15 turnovers. Nate Watson scored 18 points for the second straight game and has made at least half of his shots in 11 of his last 13 outings. Watson (11.2 points) is second on the team in scoring behind Alpha Diallo (16.8), who is 7-of-23 from the field in the last two games, although he has 22 rebounds during that stretch to raise his average to a team-high 8.3 per game.

TIP-INS

1. Marshall has scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

2. In the last two games, Goodin has more turnovers (six) than field goals (5-of-19).

3. Providence G Maliek White made three baskets in 15 minutes against Villanova after making a total of three shots in 61 minutes over his previous five games.

PREDICTION: Providence 69, Xavier 67