Frease's 25 points lift Xavier over Lehigh 70-58 in NCAAs

By Steve Reed

Associated Press

Published: Sunday, March 18 2012 8:35 p.m. MDT

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Xavier's Tu Holloway (52) reacts after a basket against Lehigh during the second half of a third-round NCAA tournament college basketball game in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, March 18, 2012.

Chuck Burton, Associated Press

Summary

Senior center Kenny Frease scored a career-high 25 points to go with 12 rebounds and Xavier knocked off upset-minded Lehigh 70-58 Sunday night to reach the round of 16 for the fourth time in five years.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Senior center Kenny Frease scored a career-high 25 points to go with 12 rebounds and Xavier knocked off upset-minded Lehigh 70-58 Sunday night to reach the round of 16 for the fourth time in five years.

Lehigh, which stunned No. 2 seed Duke on Friday, was looking to become the first 15 seed to make it to the regional semifinals. But the 7-foot Frease stood in the way.

He dominated in the paint, hitting 11 of 13 shots, and Tu Holloway was his normal productive self with 21 points as 10th-seeded Xavier (22-12) advanced to play No. 3 seed Baylor on Friday in the South Regional at Atlanta.

The Musketeers held C.J. McCollum, the nation's fifth-leading scorer, to 14 points on 5-of-22 shooting and overcame a 15-point first-half deficit. Mackey McKnight had 20 points for Lehigh (27-7), which tied a Patriot League record for wins in a season.

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