JOE KAY
Associated Press

CINCINNATI — B.J. Raymond scored a career-high 32 points against an Auburn defense that already knew better than to leave him open, and No. 14 Xavier remained undefeated Wednesday night with an 81-74 victory, Sean Miller’s 100th as coach.

The Musketeers (7-0) matched the third-best start in their history and their best since 1996-97, when they won their first 10 for the school record. Raymond and the rest of the Musketeers kept it going by firing away from outside against the Tigers (3-4), who had trouble with that before.

In Xavier’s 80-57 win at Auburn last Jan. 6, the Musketeers tied their school record by making 16 3-pointers. Raymond led the way in that one, going 6-of-8 from behind the arc with 18 points overall — a performance that the Tigers surely remembered.

Stunningly, they left him open enough times to top it, letting Miller improve his record to 100-39 in his fifth season at Xavier.

Frankie Sullivan scored a career-high 23 points and helped Auburn cut a 22-point deficit to 60-51 with 6:55 left in the game. Raymond — who else? — blunted the comeback by making back-to-back 3-pointers, giving him a career-high seven in nine attempts.

Xavier went 13-of-23 from behind the arc and shot 53.5 percent from the field, but its 22 turnovers and 22-of-36 shooting on free throws allowed Auburn to keep it close.

The Musketeers wore their special gray home jerseys for the first time since last Dec. 22, when they lost to Tennessee, their only loss in their last 29 games at the Cintas Center. The Musketeers never trailed in this one.

Raymond had 16 points in a sloppy first half that featured a dozen turnovers by each team. He hit back-to-back 3s, the second one when he was unguarded on the left wing, in an eight-point run that closed the half and left Xavier in control 37-26.

Against Miami of Ohio last Saturday, Raymond had one of those rare games when he struggles with his shot, missing all but the last of his eight 3-point attempts. It didn’t carry over against an Auburn defense more worried about taking away Xavier’s inside game.

Even 7-foot freshman center Kenny Frease made the first 3-pointer of his career, connecting when he was left unguarded at the top of the key.

A few hours before the game, the NCAA rejected sophomore point guard Jordan Crawford’s request to play for Xavier this season. Crawford transferred last summer from Indiana, and was hoping not to have to sit out a season.

Freshman point guard Terrell Holloway, the team’s best free-throw shooter and quickest ball handler, missed his second game with a stress fracture in his left foot that will sideline him for at least one more week. Xavier is down to one point guard — Dante Jackson, who is more of a shooting guard.