Preview: Marquette Visits Xavier in Big East Clash CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Two Big East teams seeking momentum will meet Saturday when the Marquette Golden Eagles visit the Xavier Musketeers at Cintas Center. The matchup features teams with contrasting recent fortunes. Xavier (12-12 overall) looks to return to .500 in conference play after a tough 82-87 overtime loss at Saint John’s on Monday. Marquette (9-16) arrives following a narrow 74-77 road defeat at Villanova on Tuesday. The Golden Eagles won the season’s first meeting, 66-65, in Milwaukee on Jan. 7. Saturday’s contest offers Xavier a chance for home-court revenge. Marquette will lean on forward Royce Parham, who has been a consistent offensive force. He is coming off a 26-point performance at Villanova and has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, averaging 17.7 points per contest during that stretch. Xavier counters with guard Tre Carroll, who has provided scoring punch despite the team’s struggles. Carroll dropped 31 points in a loss to Saint John’s on Jan. 24 and is averaging 22.2 points over his last five outings. The Musketeers have shown resilience at home this season, including a 68-66 win over DePaul on Jan. 31. Marquette, however, has demonstrated it can compete on the road, taking Villanova to the wire earlier this week. For Xavier, stabilizing its defense will be key after allowing an average of 88 points in its last three losses. Marquette must find secondary scoring behind Parham to improve its chances. Saturday’s game tips off at 2 p.m. EST and will be televised on the Big East network.