DAYTON, Ohio -- Most NCAA tournament teams dispatched to the First Four view it as an opportunity or a nuisance, but rarely, if ever, an advantage.

The First Four is a logistical and preparation scramble, not to mention an extra game before the start of what many consider to be the true NCAA tournament. But Xavier found itself in an unusual spot Wednesday night against Texas, playing just 47 miles from its Cincinnati campus, in front of a raucous crowd that burst into "Let's go X!" chants and flashed the "horns down" signal like a reflex.

The Musketeers needed that type of environment, and contributions from several somewhat unexpected sources, to overcome a Texas barrage in the first half. After giving up 47 points in the opening 20 minutes, Xavier scored 47 in the final 20 and won 86-80 in front of 12,546 at UD Arena. The No. 11 seed advanced in the Midwest Region, where it will face No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday night in Milwaukee.

"That's one of the greatest games I've been a part of," Xavier coach Sean Miller said.

A mix of atmosphere and standout performances led to Miller's proclamation. He felt his team was "on the ropes" several times Wednesday, only to fight back and ultimately leapfrog a Texas squad that controlled the paint and received 23 points from dynamic freshman Tre Johnson.

"It pretty much felt like a home game," guard Marcus Foster said. "Like Coach Miller said, we needed everybody to pop out for us to pull that win, because that was a great Texas team."

On a night when Xavier front men Zach Freemantle and Ryan Conwell fought foul trouble and spotty shooting, Foster stepped to center stage. The Furman transfer scored a season-high 22 points, including 16 in the second half, and hit 4 of 5 from 3-point range with eight defensive rebounds.

Although Freemantle came alive late and reached double figures in scoring (15 points) alongside Conwell (11) and three others, Xavier received big boosts from Foster and reserves Dante Maddox Jr. (10 points) and Jerome Hunter (9).

"I just wanted to be the player everybody could count on," Foster said. "It was tough for [Freemantle and Conwell], they dealt with foul trouble, so I really wanted to step in and be a key guy to help us win."

Xavier trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half and was down 10 with less than 12 minutes left. But Foster sparked a 13-3 run that drew the Musketeers even. Then, they took their first lead since the 14:48 mark of the first half on a John Hugley IV 3-pointer with 5:07 left.

The Musketeers also tightened up defensively, after giving up their highest first-half points total of the season. Miller noted that Xavier has been a first-half team that eroded at times against faster and deeper opponents in the Big East.

"Tonight, we did not wear down," he said. "If anything maybe we had a wearing-down effect, especially with the way the crowd was against Texas."

The Longhorns prepared for a road-like setting Wednesday and had faced similar environments in the SEC. Texas guard Tramon Mark said his team was unaffected, but added of Xavier, "They definitely fed off their crowd."

"I wish we would have had more Dayton fans than Xavier fans," Texas coach Rodney Terry said. "This had the feel of a Sweet 16 game tonight, it really did."

Texas won't experience the Sweet 16 this year, and Terry's job status could be in doubt after a second straight early tournament exit. Terry, who is 62-37 in three seasons as Texas' coach, expects to meet with athletic director Chris Del Conte to evaluate the program.

"At the end of the day, it's in God's hands," he said. "I live my life, I'm a believer, and if God has plans for me to be here, then I'll be here."

Xavier's NCAA tournament will continue, meanwhile, although the crowd in Milwaukee probably won't be quite as friendly, especially given Illinois' proximity to Fiserv Forum.

"We've got to be a mature ballclub and understand that just because the fans get loud and rowdy, we can't let that affect our confidence," Foster said. "We saw today the power of having fans, so we've really got to understand what we're going into, and know it's going to be harder and harder."