Xavier Musketeers Hold Off Marquette Golden Eagles in Big East Clash

Xavier nearly blew a 21-point lead but made key plays down the stretch to secure the victory.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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The Xavier Musketeers held on for a 96-88 victory over the Marquette Golden Eagles in a Big East conference matchup. Xavier led by as many as 21 points in the first half but had to overcome several defensive lapses in the second half to secure the win. Jovan Milicevic led Xavier with a career-high 23 points, while Filip Borovicanin recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Marquette star freshman Nigel James Jr. scored 30 points in the losing effort.

Why it matters

This win was an important bounce-back for Xavier, which had suffered a tough loss to St. John's just four days earlier. The Musketeers needed to get back on track in order to keep their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive in a rebuilding season. The game also featured a matchup between two Big East rivals fighting to improve their conference standings.

The details

Xavier raced out to a 15-6 lead early, hitting 8 of its first 11 3-pointers. The Musketeers led by as many as 21 points in the first half and took a 51-35 advantage into halftime. However, Marquette stormed back in the second half, cutting the deficit to as little as 4 points on multiple occasions. Xavier was able to hold on down the stretch, getting key plays from Borovicanin and Milicevic to push the lead back to double digits. The Musketeers assisted on 24 of their 31 made field goals and hit a season-high 16 3-pointers.

  • Xavier led for all but 25 seconds on Saturday afternoon.
  • The Musketeers led by double figures for over 20 minutes until early in the second half.

The players

Jovan Milicevic

Xavier guard who scored a career-high 23 points in the win.

Filip Borovicanin

Xavier forward who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and was three assists shy of a triple-double.

Nigel James Jr.

Marquette star freshman who scored 30 points in the losing effort.

Royce Parham

Marquette forward who had a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Malik Messina-Moore

Xavier guard who had a season-high 11 assists to go with 9 points.

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What’s next

Xavier will host Villanova on Tuesday, February 17. The Wildcats are currently ranked #30 in the AP Top 25 poll and appear to be a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This win was an important step for Xavier as it tries to salvage its season and keep its slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Musketeers showed resilience in holding off Marquette's second-half comeback, and the strong shooting performance from beyond the arc could be a sign of things to come for the team.