HATTIESBURG, Mississippi -- Senior forward Cordell Hadnot scored a season-high 16 points Tuesday, and NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana produced another stellar defensive performance in a 57-42 men's basketball victory against William Carey.
Hadnot was 7-of-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line to lead the Gold Rush (7-2) in scoring for the second straight game. Hadnot has made his past 11 shots from the floor and past four from the line.
Xavier limited William Carey (5-6) to 27.9 percent from the floor and allowed its fewest points to the Crusaders in 70 meetings. It's the first time since November 2004 that the Gold Rush allowed fewer than 50 points in consecutive games.
Renard Smith had 11 points for Xavier, which has won three in a row, and Denzell Erves and Kevin Miller scored nine apiece. Smith made a pair of 3-pointers for the third straight game.
Xavier limited Carey's top two season scorers, Brandon Givens and Roderick Little, to a combined 15 points -- two in the second half -- and 3-of-19 from the floor. Givens, who entered the game averaging 18.8 points, scored a season-low 10. Little, who entered averaging 16.2 points, scored a season-low five.
The Gold Rush led 28-27 at halftime and took the lead for good, 31-30, on Nick Haywood's 3-point play with 18:36 remaining. Xavier led by at least eight points for the final 11:55, and the final margin was its largest of the game.
Xavier shot 41.7 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Crusaders 34-31. The Gold Rush committed 16 turnovers and gained 22.Stefan Sartori's 3-pointer in the seventh minute capped a 10-2 run and gave William Carey its biggest lead, 14-11, but five Xavier players scored in a 10-0 run to give the Rush a 21-14 advantage at 9:14.
Xavier will travel to city rival Loyola for a 4 p.m. game Saturday.
By Ed Cassiere, SIDVISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCACSPORTS
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