Xavier ends brief skid

Tu Holloway scored 21 points and No. 14 Xavier (9-3) ended a three-game losing streak with an 87-77 victory over Southern Illinois (3-8) on Sunday in the seventh-place game of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Before a sparse, morning crowd on Christmas Day, the Musketeers won for the first time since Dec. 10, when they beat Cincinnati in a game cut short in the closing seconds by brawling and mayhem on the court. This was the first three-game losing streak for Xavier under coach Chris Mack and first since the 2007-08 season. Mark Lyons scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Musketeers. Andre Walker and Travis Taylor added 13 apiece for Xavier, which made 36 of 48 free throws.

Associated Press