The Xavier Musketeers trailed the Texas Longhorns by 13 points in their NCAA tournament First Four game Wednesday in Dayton, and dealt with foul trouble all night for leading scorers Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell.

But 11th-seeded XU outscored the Longhorns 47-33 in the second half, made 12-of-25 from 3-point range and got a season-high 22 points on 8-of-9 shooting from Marcus Foster to rally past Texas, 86-80, to advance to a Friday night matchup with No. 6 Illinois in Milwaukee.

“They’re hot, man,” former Villanova head coach Jay Wright said during TruTV’s “Inside March Madness” studio show after the game. “They could make a run. They could really make a run.”

The Musketeers avenged a Sweet 16 loss in 2023 to Texas. It was the fourth time the two teams have met in the NCAA tournament.

The Xavier bench celebrates against Texas during the First Four

Social media reactions to the Muskies’ First Four win:

The tournament always delivers. Resilience on display big time in Dayton. Wow.

— Chris Mack (@CoachChrisMack) March 20, 2025

After Xavier’s BIG First Four win, coach Sean Miller shared his thoughts on facing the Illini in the First Round:

“I could care less, I don’t even care. I’m just glad we won” 😂 pic.twitter.com/rKIU5mR76F

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2025

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reactions: Xavier comeback topples Texas in First Four; Illinois next