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Xavier's Celebration After Comeback vs. Texas Featured Cowboy Hats and Horns Down

The locker room was a fun place to be.

Kyle Koster

The Xavier Musketeers bench celebrates as they tie th game in the second half of the NCAA Tournament First Four game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Texas Longhorns at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Xavier advances with an 86-80 win over Texas, moving on to play Illinois in the first round.
The Xavier Musketeers bench celebrates as they tie th game in the second half of the NCAA Tournament First Four game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Texas Longhorns at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Xavier advances with an 86-80 win over Texas, moving on to play Illinois in the first round. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Xavier mounted a ferocious comeback aided by a rambunctious crowd against Texas on Wednesday night to close out First Four action. The Musketeers' victory earned them a date with Illinois on Friday and ended the Longhorns' season. It may also spell the end for Texas coach Rodney Terry.

The victorious side did what college teams do following the season-extended victory, turning the locker room into one giant splash zone by tossing water all around and busting out the controversial "Horns Down" signal.

Zach Freemantle, who scored 15 key points, took the opportunity to wear a cowboy hat and looked great.

All of this surely adds a little sting to whole experience for Texas, which had the game in its grasp and let it slip away. There's a long and rich tradition of opposing teams flashing the Horns Down signage and it's ticked off Longhorns fans every single time. Xavier does not have much cause to have a real rivalry here but then again, when else will they ever get the opportunity to throw up their hands in this specific way?

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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