No. 8 Xavier gets the best of UNI for second time in six days

CINCINNATI - J.P. Macura scored 18 points and Edmond Sumner added 14 points and seven assists as eighth-ranked Xavier beat Northern Iowa for the second straight game, 64-42, on Saturday at Cintas Center.

Xavier (6-0) held the Panthers to 32.6 percent shooting and forced 14 turnovers.

Jeremy Morgan led Northern Iowa (3-2) with 14 points and Klint Carlson added 11 for the Panthers.

Xavier defeated Northern Iowa, 67-59, last week in the championship game of the Tire Pros Invitational in Orlando, Fla., limiting the Panthers to 26.7 percent shooting from 3-point range in the second half to break open a close game.

In a scheduling quirk, the teams met again on Saturday, and Xavier's defense again was suffocating on Saturday.

Northern Iowa had one field goal and committed five turnovers in the first 13 minutes.

The Musketeers led 10-2 after Trevon Bluiett's layup off a skip pass from Macura.

Sumner and Bluiett hit 3-pointers to make the score 18-5.

Xavier held Morgan scoreless until his 3-pointer with 17:44 left in the second half. He scored 20 points in the last meeting.

Macura's third 3-pointer of the game made the score 30-10. He went 3-for-5 from 3-point range in the first half.

Macura's bounce pass to Sumner in transition resulted in a two-handed jam to give the Musketeers their largest lead, 35-12. Sumner had 10 points and five assists in the first half.

Xavier, which forced 17 turnovers and had 11 steals in the first meeting, forced 10 in the first half on Saturday.

The Musketeers showed no signs of slowing down early in the second half when Bluiett hit a 3-pointer to make the score 40-14. Bluiett had eight points.

The only concern from Xavier in the second half came when Sumner limped off the court with 12 minutes remaining because of an apparent cramp. He returned to the game less than four minutes later.

The Musketeers committed 13 turnovers on Saturday, including seven in the second half, preventing them from putting the score completely out of reach.

It didn't help Northern Iowa's cause when junior forward Bennett Koch fouled out with eight minutes remaining. But, the Panthers couldn't stage a rally.

UNI hosts George Mason at 7 p.m. Wednesday.