By William Coffman, Local & National News Editor

The Xavier Musketeers men’s basketball team fought hard for a 96-88 win against the Marquette University Golden Eagles at home Saturday. Bolstered by strong offensive play, four Musketeers ended with double digit point values. Tre Carroll scored 18, All Wright had 19, Filip Borovicanin had 15 to go along with 11 rebounds and Jovan Milicevic led the team with 23 points. The Musketeers made 16 total 3-pointers, doubling Marquette’s total of eight. 

Saturday’s gameday was special beyond the win. This game was designated as the season’s military appreciation game and Cintas hosted many events coinciding with the game to help honor those who have served.

The game kicked off with a special commemoration of the national anthem, as Xavier University’s ROTC program brought out a court length flag to hold during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Following the anthem, the Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) Cadets Julia Flynn, a junior exercise science major and Joel Lacoste, a senior Philosophy, Politics and the Public major, repelled from the ceiling of Cintas down to the court to deliver the game ball. 

“There’s a real adrenaline rush standing 180+ feet up getting ready to step off, but once I did the training took over. I remember getting halfway down, giving a quick fist pump to the crowd on the way down, and just as fast you’re on the floor realizing you helped kick off a major event for the community. It was a huge honor and something I’ll remember for a long time,” Lacoste said. 

One last event paid tribute to Xavier’s veteran community before the game began. Major Bill Peters, a retired United States Marine and veteran of the Vietnam War, as well as the first Xavier student to serve as the Musketeer mascot for Xavier athletics was honored at center-court before tipoff.

At halftime, Cintas paid tribute to the seniors in the ROTC program, who will commission in May as officers in the United States Army. The cadets honored were Eli Dunwoody, Abigail Tracey, Keegan Brooks, Erin Hendricks, Joel Lacoste, Christian Bruns, Tad Gray, Abigail Koogler, Max Ubriaco, Ellie Graef, Sam Giuliani and Gracie Sergent. 

 The first half was a dominant performance for the Musketeers, scoring 51 points to Marquette’s 36. The second half saw a resurgence from the Golden Eagles, led by a strong 30-point performance from freshman guard Nigel James Jr. 

The Golden Eagles cut the deficit to four points with just over two minutes to go, but the Musketeers managed to keep the lead, scoring seven points in the final minute of the game to win at home. This was Xavier’s fifth game scoring over 90 points, and their third in Big East play. 

The win was a sign of relief for a Xavier team, putting it at 13-12 for the season with six games to go. Perhaps more importantly, it was a chance to celebrate those who have served and are preparing to serve in the nation’s armed forces. 

“As a senior who’s been here nearly four years, I hope people walk away with a more personal understanding of who serves. Service members aren’t separate from the campus community, they’re in the same classrooms and student organizations. Military appreciation events can sometimes feel symbolic, but when students see their peers involved, it makes service more tangible and relatable,” Lacoste said.