Sixth-ranked Xavier bounced back from an ugly loss at No. 16 Villanova to rout No. 9 Butler 88-69 in a Big East home opener Saturday at Cintas Center.
The Musketeers beat their highest-ranked opponent this season without injured starting point guard Edmond Sumner, who did not attend the outing, and claimed their first victory in conference play (13-1, 1-1 Big East) before a sellout crowd of 10,498 at Cintas Center.
Butler (11-3, 0-2) pulled within three points multiple times but never was able to overtake the lead. Xavier mounted a 13-1 run for a 15-point lead in the second half and maintained control until the end.