Fri Mar 21 22:00:00 UTC 2025: **Xavier Upsets Texas in First Four Thriller, Advances to Face Illinois**
DAYTON, Ohio – In a thrilling First Four matchup at UD Arena, the Xavier Musketeers edged out the Texas Longhorns 86-80, fueled by a raucous home-state crowd and a standout performance from guard Marcus Foster. The No. 11 seed Xavier, playing just 47 miles from its campus, overcame a 13-point first-half deficit and a strong showing from Texas freshman Tre Johnson (23 points).
Foster led Xavier with a season-high 22 points, including 16 in the second half, hitting crucial shots while also contributing eight defensive rebounds. His performance was crucial as Xavier’s starting frontcourt of Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell faced foul trouble. Other key contributors for Xavier included Dante Maddox Jr. (10 points) and Jerome Hunter (9 points). Freemantle and Conwell still managed to reach double figures, scoring 15 and 11 points respectively.
The game, which drew a crowd of 12,546, felt more like a home game for Xavier, with the arena chanting “Let’s go X!” throughout. Xavier coach Sean Miller called it “one of the greatest games I’ve been a part of,” praising his team’s resilience in overcoming a strong Texas team that dominated the paint in the first half.
Texas coach Rodney Terry acknowledged the impact of the crowd, stating it felt like a Sweet 16 game. He indicated that he would be meeting with athletic director Chris Del Conte to evaluate the program following a second consecutive early tournament exit. Terry’s future with the Longhorns is now uncertain.
Xavier will now face the No. 6 seed Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday in Milwaukee. While acknowledging the home-crowd advantage played a role in their win, Foster emphasized the need for maturity and focus as they face a tougher challenge in their next game.
First Piper 