Gold Rush lead wire-to-wire in 54-34 victory at Dillard

Anthony Simmons

NEW ORLEANS -- Anthony Simmons scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds Saturday to lead NAIA No. 11 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 54-34 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Dillard at Dent Hall.

The Gold Rush (18-4 overall, 6-1 GCAC) won for sixth time in seven games and remained in a first-place tie with Philander Smith, which won in double overtime at Fisk. Xavier is 9-1 on the road this season.

Simmons, the reigning GCAC Player of the Week, was 7-of-9 from the floor and one of three Xavier players in double figures. Denzell Erves had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Wanto Joseph had 12 points, five rebounds and a career-high six steals.

Xavier scored the first eight points and never trailed. Joseph converted consecutive steals into layups in the final 75 seconds of the first half to give Xavier a 28-16 lead at halftime.

Tyrone Williams led Dillard (2-14, 1-6) with nine points.

Xavier outshot the Blue Devils 44.2 to 37.8 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 30-15.

Xavier defeated its longtime HBCU, conference and city rival for the seventh consecutive time and the 14th time in the last 15 meetings. Xavier is 9-0 at Dillard since 2001.

Dillard has lost 52 of its last 56 games overall.

The teams will meet again Feb. 23 at XU's Convocation Center. Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Mobile, and the next Gold Rush home game will start at noon next Saturday against Talladega.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA