Cincinnati vs. Xavier, 2015 Crosstown Shootout halftime notes

In the only matchup between two Top 25 teams and the city of Cincinnati's fiercest rivalry, Xavier has control of the pace of play and the scoreboard so far with a 42-26 lead over Cincinnati. Here's what you need to know from the first half.

- Xavier jumped out to a 13-3 lead to begin the game and now hold a 16-point advantage over Cincinnati..

- The Musketeers came out smoking from deep, making three of their first five shots beyond the three point line. At the half, Xavier is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and long range. Defensively, they stifled the Bearcat offense to 40.0 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from deep.

- Senior Octavius Ellis has led Cincinnati in scoring with nine after making 4-of-6 from the field, while Myles Davis is Xavier's highest point scorer with 10 points. Ellis also has five rebounds and two blocks.

- Not surprisingly, the Musketeers out rebounded the Bearcats in the first half 20-13. James Farr and Trevon Blueitt have each brought down four boards.

- Xavier has struggled attempting free throws so far, missing five of their first six shots from the line. This will need to change if Xavier wishes to win in crunch time.

- Cincinnati struggled to hold onto the ball with eight turnovers in the first half. Xavier has only turned the ball over four  times.