Holy Cross moves on in NCAA Tournament with win over Southern

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DAYTON, OH - MARCH 16: Robert Champion #22 of the Holy Cross Crusaders celebrates with teammates after they defeated the Southern University Jaguars 59 to 55 during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 16, 2016 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 16: Robert Champion #22 of the Holy Cross Crusaders celebrates with teammates after they defeated the Southern University Jaguars 59 to 55 during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 16, 2016 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
By MITCH STACY
AP Sports Writer
   
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- Robert Champion scored 19 points, including a key 3-pointer in the final minute, to help Holy Cross beat Southern University 59-55 Wednesday night for its first NCAA Tournament victory since 1953.
   
Champion, a junior guard, also hit two key free throws with 14 seconds left to put the game out of reach. He connected on as many 3-pointers as the entire Southern team, which was 3 for 20 from beyond the arc in a sluggish, mistake-filled First Four game.
   
Holy Cross (15-19) was an unlikely NCAA team, earning its automatic bid by winning four games on the road to in the Patriot League Tournament. The 16th-seeded Crusaders advance to play No. 1 seed Oregon on Friday in Spokane, Washington.