Memphis edges Xavier 72-68

Joe Jackson had 14 points and Wesley Witherspoon scored all 12 of his points in the second half as Memphis used a late rally for a 72-68 win over Xavier on Saturday.

Jackson connected on all 12 of his free throws including six in the final 2:12, part of Memphis (16-7) closing the game with a 21-6 rally.

Will Barton and Tarik Black finished with 13 points apiece for Memphis, but it was Witherspoon who keyed the comeback after Memphis trailed 62-51 with 6:16 remaining.

The Tigers then went on a 17-1 rally to take the lead for good.

Dezmine Wells led the Musketeers (15-8) with 19 points, and Mark Lyons had 14. Tu Holloway, Xavier's leading scorer at 16.4 a game, scored 12 points on 3 of 12 shots from the field. Kenny Frease had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Xavier.

The Musketeers appeared in control with their 11-point lead after a 3-point play by Wells late in the second half, but Witherspoon would answer with a 3-pointer and later would have a three-point play in the game-clinching rally.

Antonio Barton's drive with 1:27 left gave Memphis the lead at 65-63, and the Tigers converted 7 of 8 free throws in the final 31.6 seconds to seal the win.

Xavier led 35-34 after a closely-played first half that saw eight ties and five lead changes. Neither team led by more than the Musketeers' five points at one juncture.

Both teams had trouble handling the ball early with seven early turnovers apiece, but were more under control after the midway point of the half.

Xavier benefited from hitting 3 of 7 (42.9 percent) from outside the arc in the first half, including a pair from Brad Redford.

Wells' 15-footer with 6 minutes left in the half gave the Musketeers a 23-18 lead, but Memphis chipped away at the advantage the remainder of the half.

Memphis was anxious to go inside to Black in the first half, particularly when Frease was taking a breather for Xavier. But Black only got five shots in the half and six in the game.

Xavier began to create some space by scoring the first nine points of the second half for a 44-34 advantage, as the Tigers missed their first seven shots after the break.

Holloway, who was held scoreless in the first half for the Musketeers, hit a pair of field goals, including a 3-pointer in the stretch. While the Tigers were struggling from the field, the Musketeers opened the half converting 8 of 12 shots.

Each time Memphis chipped away at the advantage, Xavier answered the challenge, pushing the margin back to double digits. Lyons' 3-pointer put Xavier up 59-49 with 8:27 left. Wells' three-point play would make it 62-51 with 6:16 to go, setting the stage for the Memphis rally.