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Cole lifts West Virginia to upset

Mar 18, 2007 - 3:37 AM AUSTIN, Texas (Ticker) -- Chakhia Cole scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead No. 11 West Virginia to a 65-52 upset over sixth-seeded Xavier in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament's Fresno Region.

The Mountaineers (21-10) next will face the winner of the Louisiana State-UNC-Asheville matchup in the second round on Monday.

Olayinka Sanni collected 20 points and eight rebounds for West Virginia, which shot 44 percent (24-of-55) from the field.

The Mountaineers finished the half on a 15-4 run, taking a 31-18 lead at the break. The Musketeers closed the gap to 11 multiple times in the second half but could not get any closer.

Ashley Powell added seven points, nine rebounds and six assists for West Virginia, which outrebounded Xavier, 40-31.

The Musketeers (26-8) were led by Amber Harris, who had 19 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and three blocks.

Suntana Granderson added 13 points for Xavier, which shot just 30 percent (15-of-50) and had its 10-game winning streak snapped.