Third-seeded Xavier avoided the first major upset of the NCAA Tournament today when it came from behind to beat 14th-seeded Georgia 73-61, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. The Musketeers (28-6) trailed by 11 points in the second half, but freshman Dante Jackson hit a 3-pointer with 7:23 left to put Xavier up for good.
The centerpiece of the 20-6 second half run that pushed Xavier into the lead was eight free throws, as the Musketeers finished 27-of-33 from the line. Georgia (17-17) won the SEC tournament last week with four straight wins, including two in one day. Before Xavier's comeback the Bulldogs looked well on their way to another win, after shooting 54% in the first half, led by Terrance Woodbury, who scored 10 of his 16 points before the break. (More NCAA stories.)