In Fort Myers, Florida, the No. 25 ranked Xavier Musketeers secured a victory against South Carolina, winning 75-66 during the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Monday evening. Zach Freemantle led the Musketeers with 16 points, while Dailyn Swain contributed 14 points. Ryan Conwell added 13 points, Dayvion McKnight scored 11, and Jerome Hunter came off the bench to chip in 10 points for Xavier, improving their record to 6-0.

For South Carolina, Collin Murray-Boyles was the top scorer with 13 points. Jamarii Thomas and Jacobi Wright followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively, leaving the Gamecocks with a 3-3 record at this stage.

The game began with Xavier quickly establishing a 7-0 lead. However, South Carolina responded impressively by rattling off a 17-point run, leaving the Musketeers scoreless for over six minutes. As the first half concluded, South Carolina held a 34-29 lead.

This matchup was a rare occurrence, as the two teams had not faced each other since the 1941-42 season. Historically, Xavier has performed well against Southeastern Conference opponents, improving their record to 26-11 against such teams since 2008.

Turning points in the game included Xavier’s ability to regroup, as they executed important scoring runs of 11-2 and 8-2 to regain the lead at 50-44. The Musketeers extended their lead to as much as 66-55 before a brief 7-0 surge from the Gamecocks, which fell short as they could not close the gap further.

Interestingly, despite their victory, the Musketeers struggled with their shooting, finishing just 4 of 18 from beyond the arc, a stark contrast to their earlier matches where they had consistently made at least 10 three-pointers in each game.

Looking ahead, Xavier will face Michigan on Wednesday in the tournament final, while South Carolina is set to compete against Virginia Tech in a consolation game on the same day.