Who’s Playing
Houston Cougars @ Xavier Musketeers
Current Records: Houston 7-0, Xavier 4-3
How To Watch
- When: Friday, December 1, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Cintas Center — Cincinnati, Ohio
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
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What to Know
The Xavier Musketeers will be playing at home against the Houston Cougars at 6:30 p.m. ET on Friday at Cintas Center. Xavier might want some stickum for this contest since the team gave up ten turnovers on Monday.
The point spread may have favored Xavier on Monday, but the final result did not. They fell just short of the Golden Grizzlies by a score of 78-76. It was the first time this season that Xavier let down their fans at home.
Xavier’s loss came about despite a quality game from Desmond Claude, who scored 24 points along with 6 rebounds and 3 steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Abou Ousmane, who scored 12 points along with 5 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Houston put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their match at home with ease, bagging a 79-44 victory over the Grizzlies. When it comes to teams that have lost (badly) to Houston, Houston is are in good company: they have won four games by 31 points or more this season.
Houston’s win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from L.J. Cryer, who scored 24 points. Jamal Shead was another key contributor, scoring 13 points along with 7 assists and 4 steals.
The Musketeers have yet to win a match at home this season, leaving them with a 4-3 record. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 85.3 points per game. As for the Cougars, their victory bumped their record up to 7-0.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Xavier have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.7 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Houston struggles in that department as they’ve been even better at 41.4 per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check CBS Sports after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other NCAA Basketball content.