Xavier staged a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat Texas 86-80 in the Midwest Region First Four matchup on Wednesday night. Marcus Foster led the charge with 22 points, while Zach Freemantle added 15 despite battling foul trouble. The Musketeers (22-11) erased a 13-point deficit in their largest comeback win of the season, securing a spot in the main bracket of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday night in Milwaukee.
Texas (19-16) dominated early, taking a 47-39 halftime lead and stretching the margin to 13 points in the first half. Xavier struggled to contain Texas’ aggressive attack in the paint, allowing 26 first-half points near the rim. However, the Musketeers adjusted defensively after the break, limiting the Longhorns to just 10 paint points in the second half.
Freemantle, who sat out last season due to injury, played a crucial role down the stretch despite being saddled with fouls. He was quiet in the first half, scoring just two points before picking up his fourth foul with 7:10 remaining. Still, he delivered in crunch time, hitting a turnaround jumper to break a 78-78 tie with 1:48 left. His two free throws with 1:09 to go extended Xavier’s lead to 82-79.
Tre Johnson led Texas with 23 points, and Tramon Mark contributed 16, but the Longhorns faltered in the closing moments. Johnson missed a fadeaway jumper, and Dailyn Swain’s putback of a missed Freemantle three-pointer extended Xavier’s lead to five with 20 seconds left. Chendall Weaver made one of two free throws for Texas, but Freemantle’s emphatic dunk in the final seconds sealed the win. Xavier closed the game on a 16-6 run over the final six minutes, demonstrating their resilience and late-game execution.
Foster was instrumental in Xavier’s offensive surge, shooting 8-for-9 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. He also grabbed eight rebounds, helping the Musketeers control the glass in the second half. Jerome Hunter’s clutch three-pointer tied the game at 65 with eight minutes remaining, and Oklahoma transfer John Hugley drilled a three-pointer to give Xavier a 75-74 lead with 5:07 left.
This First Four clash marked the fourth time since 1990 that Xavier and Texas have met in the NCAA Tournament, with each team winning twice. The Longhorns capitalized on Xavier’s early foul trouble, but the Musketeers’ defensive adjustments and efficient second-half offense proved to be the difference.
The game was played at University of Dayton Arena, just an hour’s drive from Xavier’s campus, leading to a strong contingent of Musketeers fans in attendance. With Dayton competing in the NIT the same night, Xavier supporters were able to claim additional seats, providing an energized home-like atmosphere for the comeback victory.
With the win, Xavier advances to face Illinois in the Midwest Region’s main draw, looking to build on their momentum in pursuit of a deep tournament run.
