Takeaways from Xavier’s win over West Virginia in Charleston Classic

CHARLESTON, S.C. − Xavier men’s basketball will leave South Carolina a better team than when they arrived, even if its record remained just one game over .500.

Following a heartbreaking, last-second loss to Georgia in the opening round of the Charleston Classic, Xavier ended the multi-team event (MTE) with another bounce-back effort, beating West Virginia, 78-68, in the third-place game Nov. 23 at TD Arena.

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“Certainly, a terrific win for our program,” Xavier head coach Richard Pitino said. “I’m proud of them. It’s a very, very confident group.”

Xavier (4-3) climbed back over .500 heading into a five-game homestand and avoided its first winless MTE since getting swept in the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2013.

“If you saw our shootaround today, it was one of the hardest practices we’ve had this year and it was early in the morning,” Pitino said. “These guys are foaming at the mouth to compete with each other, to get better every single day.”

More: ‘It’s happening.’ Xavier takes step forward despite loss to Georgia

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More: ‘Really, really proud.’ Takeaways from Xavier’s loss to Georgia

Xavier holds off West Virginia with barrage of 3-pointers

In its last win, Xavier buried 16 3-pointers in a blowout of Old Dominion. The Musketeers duplicated that effort with an elite shooting display against West Virginia, going 16-of-25 (64%) from downtown.

“They’re playing the right way. They’re sharing the basketball, they’re shooting the ball well, taking great shots and doing a lot of great things,” Pitino said.

Starting center Jovan Milicevic, who tied a career-high with 21 points, was 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, Tre Carroll was 5-for-6 and guard All Wright went a perfect 4-for-4. That trio combined for 52 points.

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“I feel like we’re starting to get a feel for playing with each other and when you make shots, the game’s easy,” Milicevic said. “We did a great job today making shots.”

When Xavier needed to stop any West Virginia momentum, it went to the perimeter and…

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Publish date : 2025-11-24 00:02:00

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