Behind a electrifying 20-points, 15-rebound performance from senior forward Quincy Acy, the No. 3-seeded Baylor Bears defeated No. 10 Xavier Musketeers, 75-70, in a NCAA Tournament, Sweet 16 contest in Atlanta, Ga. The Bears (30-7) advance to face either No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats or No. 4 Indiana Hoosiers in the South Region final on Sunday.
Junior guard Pierre Jackson scord 16 points and sophomore forward Perry Jones III added 14 for Baylor, which shot 50-percent from the floor and dished out 21 assists to Xavier's 10. But the show belonged to Acy, who put together a highlight reel full of throw-down dunks and was a force on the glass all night.
The Musketeers (23-12), who trailed by as much as 18 points earlier in the first half, trailed 55-50 with 8:12 remaining in regulation. A small 5-0 run by Baylor, which included four points form Acy, pushed Baylor's lead back to double-digits, 60-50, with 4:14 to go.
In the end, Xavier was able to trim the Bears' lead to 71-68 with less than 30 seconds to play, however, sophmore guard Brady Heslip netted four of his 12 points at the free throw line in the final seconds to cement the victory. Xavier, probably, could have complete the comeback but struggled from behind the 3-point line all night (3-for-15).
The Bears opened the contest with a scorching start, outscoring the Musketeers 22-4 in the game's first 7:29. However, Xavier rallied behind senior center Kenny Frease (18 points) and trailed by just seven points heading into the locker room.
Overall, Xavier senior guard Tu Holloway finished with a game-high 22 points in his final collegiate contest, while junior guard Mark Lyons added 16.
For more on the Bears, head to Our Daily Bears, and for more on Baylor's trip through the NCAA tournament, follow SB Nation Dallas' StoryStream.
