Harris sinks game-winning FTs, Butler ousts Xavier in OT

<p>NEW YORK &mdash; Chuck Harris was clutch for Butler, <a href="https://twitter.com/BIGEASTMBB/status/1369817345963786241">drilling a straightaway 3-pointer</a> and then sinking the game-winning free throws with three seconds left in overtime as the tenth-seeded Bulldogs ousted Xavier 70-69 in the Big East tournament on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>The win moves Butler (10-14) into a quarterfinal against second-seeded and No. 17-ranked Creighton on Thursday. The teams split their regular-season games.</p>
<p>Xavier (13-8), the tournament seventh seed, shot the lights out in the first half, making 17 of 29 shots (59%) and building a 40-26 halftime lead. </p>
<p>Harris, who was 0-of-6 shooting by halftime, came alive with an early 3-pointer in the second half as Butler began a long climb back into the game. Bryce Golden added 20 points, with 12 in the second half, and Bryce Nze 19.</p>
<p>Dwon Odom and Zach Freemantle led Xavier with 14 points each, a career-high for Odom. Paul Scruggs and Colby Jones added 10 each.</p>
<p>Scruggs made two free throws to lift Xavier into a 69-68 lead with 18 seconds left in overtime. He had gone scoreless from 7:33 of the first half until the first minute of overtime.</p>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/ButlerMBB/status/1369815413866004481">Harris made a 3</a> to put Butler ahead 62-59, its first lead since 9-7. Bo Hodges added another 3 and it was 65-61. Counting a pair of free throws to force overtime at 59-59, Harris scored 10 of Butler’s last 13 points.</p>
<p>For a nine-minute span of the second half, Butler outscored Xavier 18-7. The Musketeers missed 12 of 15 shots in that stretch.</p>
<p>Nze, despite being listed as questionable to play because of an ankle injury, scored 13 of Butler’s 26 points in the first half. He made 7 of 9 shots including a career-high 4-of-4 shooting from behind the 3-point arc as Butler closed to 52-45 with 7:38 remaining, His last two 3s pulled Butler to 50-40 and then 52-45.</p>
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