ATLANTA – Quincy Acy picked up the slack for his roommate to help push Baylor to another regional final.
The 6-foot-7 senior had a double-double on an off night Friday for the sharpshooting Brady Heslip as the Bears moved their attack inside to beat Xavier, 75-70.
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“I think I got a little of that magic from him,” Acy said.
The Baylor post players were not double-teamed most of the game, and Acy took advantage of it to the tune of 20 points and 15 rebounds. Perry Jones III added 14 points for Baylor, which advanced to the its second regional final in three years.
“You stay with Brady, that means we’re one-on-one down in the post and you see what happens,” said Baylor Coach Scott Drew.
Heslip, coming off his career-high 27 points on nine 3-pointers in Baylor’s second-round win over Colorado, made only one against Xavier. He finished with 11 points.
But Acy had his back, throwing down several dunks and adding a few jump shots that surprised Xavier Coach Chris Mack.
“He’s a cage-rattler,” said Mack of Acy. “We knew that. I never saw him hit a 15-foot jump shot and he does that in the first four minutes of the game.”
Acy made 8 of 11 shots from the field and each of his four free throws, including two with 31 seconds remaining after Xavier cut the Bears’ lead to six points.
Acy, Baylor’s only starting senior, has his second chance to help the Bears win a regional final. Baylor also won three NCAA tournament games in 2010 before losing to Duke, the eventual national champion Duke.
The Bears will play the winner of the Kentucky-Indiana showdown in the South Regional final.
“We’re just looking forward to go a little farther and make a little history,” Acy said.
Drew said it never gets old watching Acy play.
“Baylor fans have been blessed, the nation’s been blessed, and he is a better person than a player,” Drew said.
Baylor, wearing bright neon-green uniforms, led by 18 points less than eight minutes into the game.
The Musketeers cut the lead to 71-68 with 22 seconds remaining.
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