Even with star guard C.J. McCollum sitting with two offensive fouls for large parts of the first half, Lehigh’s magical ride continued in the first half of their second-round NCAA Tournament game against Xavier.
March Madness Scores: Lehigh Up 37-33 On Xavier
They lead the Musketeers 37-33 after 20 minutes of action.
McCollum only had four points on 2-6 shooting, but a brilliant first half by sophomore Mackey McKnight more than made up for it, as the 6'0 guard shot 6-9 from the floor, scoring 14 points.
Xavier, despite having a significant athletic advantage at nearly every position on the floor, couldn’t handle the Mountain Hawks disciplined offense, as Lehigh repeatedly swung the ball around the court to find open holes in coach Chris Mack’s half-court defense.
Xavier was kept in the game by the play of 7'0 270-pound C Kenny Frease, as the senior's bulk was too much for Lehigh's undersized front-line. He had 12 points on 6-6 shooting as well as 5 rebounds.
However, if they’re going to keep Lehigh from becoming America’s sweetheart, they’re going to need more from their star senior Tu Holloway, who only had six points on 2-6 shooting.
For up-to-the-minute scores on all NCAA Tournament games, please check out SI.com’s complete scoreboard.
For more on the 2012 NCAA Tournament bracket, stick around SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub. There you’ll find a complete printable NCAA Tournament bracket and tons of analysis on who was snubbed, who got the best bracket and who will make it all the way to New Orleans and the Final Four.
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