NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Just 48 hours after securing the first NCAA Tournament win in program history, the Texas Southern University men’s basketball team will try to again make history, as the No. 16 seed Tigers face No. 1 seed Xavier at 6:20 p.m. Friday at Bridgestone Arena.
TSU throttled North Carolina Central, 64-46, in a play-in game Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio. Sophomore point guard Demontrae Jefferson led the charge with 25 points and eight rebounds, while senior guard Donte Clark added 18 points and seven boards. It was the Tigers’ eighth win in a row.
Stretching the streak to nine will require a historic effort. No team at No. 16 seed has ever beaten a No. 1 seed since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Xavier (28-5) won the Big East Conference regular-season title and is ranked seventh in the country in offense -- per KenPom’s adjusted rankings.
The Musketeers are led by their senior backcourt of Trevon Bluiett (19.5 ppg) and J.P. Macura (12.2 ppg). That duo helped guide Xavier all the way to the Elite Eight a year ago.
TSU – which played the toughest non-conference schedule in the country this season – began the year 0-13, while also battling numerous injuries and suspensions. Since returning to full strength, head coach Mike Davis’ team has steamrolled through the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament and First Four contest in Dayton.
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