NEW YORK CITY − Xavier lives to fight another day.

After finishing a losing regular season with back-to-back losses, Xavier held off Butler in the first round of the Big East Tournament Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, 76-72.

In the third first-round Big East Tournament matchup between Xavier and Butler in the last four years, the Musketeers avenged overtime losses in 2021 and 2022. Xavier also bounced back by beating a team they were outplayed by just one week ago at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

"We didn't feel like we played as well as we were capable of when we played them at Hinkle Fieldhouse," Xavier head coach Sean Miller said. "That doesn't mean anything. You have to be able to respond."

Respond they did.

In a back-and-forth affair that featured 22 lead changes, Xavier shook off a first-half shooting slump and took control in the second half behind the usual suspects. Xavier's Backcourt Big 3 of Dayvion McKnight, Quincy Olivari and Desmond Claude combined for 65 points.

"They've carried the water for our team perhaps more than any three have in the Big East," said Miller, who accurately guessed the trio had scored in the 60s without looking at the stat sheet. "It's been that way every game and today was no different."

Claude finished with a game-high 26 points, just two shy of the Xavier single-game Big East Tournament record set by Paul Scruggs in 2019. Claude had 16 points at the half and his floater in the lane with 13:24 gave Xavier the lead for good.

McKnight turned in his first 20-point performance since Feb. 17, scoring six straight down the stretch. McKnight's strip of Butler's DJ Davis in the final seconds sealed it.

Olivari hit three 3-pointers in the second half and finished one board shy of a double-double (19 points, 9 rebounds). The Big East's leading scorer, Olivari stripped Butler guard Pierre Brooks near halfcourt in the waning moments of regulation, then launched the ball into the stands when the final buzzer went off.

"It was a great feeling. As a basketball player, this is like one of the dreams of where you want to be and play," Olivari said. "Just embracing the whole journey because this is a dream."

Butler was led by Brooks, who led a quartet of Bulldogs in double figures with 21 on 8-of-13 shooting. Center Jalen Thomas and guard Posh Alexander added 14 each.

Xavier had a 31-30 lead at the half despite going 0-for-8 on 3-pointers the first 20 minutes. The Musketeers were dominant on the glass in the first half (27-12), which offset sloppy ball security (11 turnovers). Xavier caught fire from deep (7-of-14) after the break to balance out Butler's hot shooting (53.6%) in the second half.

Lazar Djokovic gets start

Expected to have a major role this year, freshman Lazar Djokovic's first season on American soil had been overall disappointing as he averaged 2.5 points per game while shooting 32.8% from the field.

Over the final two regular-season games, Xavier freshman Lazar Djokovic turned in 16 points and 8 rebounds as the Musketeers looked for frontcourt answers with Sasa Ciani and Dailyn Swain sidelined. Djokovic started Wednesday for the first time since Dec. 23. Djokovic didn't factor much in the scoring, but he grabbed 7 rebounds and had a +/- of 3 over 33 minutes. His only bucket gave Xavier a 65-62 lead with 4:16 remaining.

"I was nervous, for sure," Djokovic said during Xavier's open locker room. "Playing in the greatest arena of all time for basketball, just hearing my name in the starting lineup was an amazing feeling. When the ball went up, the nervousness disappeared."

UConn up next

Xavier advances to play top-seeded UConn (No. 2 AP) in Thursday's quarterfinals at noon. UConn swept Xavier in the regular season, pulling out a five-point win at Cintas Center Jan. 10 before handing the Musketeers the program's worst loss this century a few weeks later in Hartford.

"They're terrific on offense. They're terrific on defense, talent wise, coaching staff, Danny (Hurley)," Miller said. "I can't give them any more superlatives, but what I can say is we have to be ready to play the game and be at our best."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: No. 9 Xavier beats No. 8 Butler in Big East Tournament