NCAA Tournament: Crawford scores 28 to lift Xavier over Minnesota

By Colin Fly

Associated Press

Published: Friday, March 19 2010 12:59 p.m. MDT

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Xavier's Mark Lyons, left, and Minnesota's Devoe Joseph, right, reach for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA first-round college basketball game in Milwaukee, Friday.

Jeffrey Phelps, Associated Press

Summary

Jordan Crawford scored 17 of his 28 points in the second half and Xavier continued its run of NCAA tournament success with a 65-54 victory over Minnesota in the first round of the West Regional on Friday.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jordan Crawford scored 17 of his 28 points in the second half and Xavier continued its run of NCAA tournament success with a 65-54 victory over Minnesota in the first round of the West Regional on Friday.

Xavier (25-8) will be in the second round for the fourth straight year, this time under first-year coach Chris Mack.

Mack has a star in Crawford, the Indiana transfer playing in his first NCAA tournament game in two years.

But it was far from a one-man show.

Dante Jackson smothered the Gophers' best shooters on defense, Jamel McLean had 14 rebounds and Crawford provided the highlight plays for the sixth-seeded Musketeers.

Lawrence Westbrook scored 15 of his 19 points for Minnesota (21-14) in the first half, and the 11th-seeded Gophers went cold from 3-point range late.

Xavier will face the winner of Pittsburgh-Oakland in the second round.

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NCAA Tournament: Crawford scores 28 to lift Xavier over Minnesota

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