Malik Messina-Moore led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points as sharp-shooting Xavier fended off an upset bid from Le Moyne, prevailing 74-69 on Thursday in Cincinnati.

Roddie Anderson III added 15 points, Tre Carroll scored 11 and Filip Borovicanin hauled in 12 rebounds for Xavier (2-0), which had all nine players who entered the game score.

Trent Mosquera put up 20 points to lead Le Moyne (1-1). Deng Garang added 15, Jakai Sanders scored 13 and Ametri Moss had 10 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Dolphins.

Trailing 67-60 with three minutes left, Le Moyne mounted one more push, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Moss with 2:34 left that cut the deficit to three. The Dolphins had a chance to slice the lead to three again, but Shilo Jackson missed a pair of free throws wit

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