Philander Smith reduces Xavier lead in GCAC to 1 game

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- Juvon Demerson scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half Saturday to rally Philander Smith in a 75-68 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Panrthers (17-8 overall, 7-3 GCAC) reduced the conference lead of the Gold Rush (21-5, 8-2) to one game. Xavier is ranked 11th in NAIA Division I, and Philander Smith is 24th.

Xavier led 31-30 at halftime, but Demerson, a 6-foot-10 junior center, scored six points in an 8-0 run which opened the second half and put the Panthers ahead to stay. Alvin Nance's two free throws with 8:59 remaining gave Philander Smith its biggest lead, 59-43.

Wanto Joseph's 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining trimmed the Panthers' lead to 71-68, but Xavier got no closer. Clayton Busby made two free throws at 0:13, then Nance scored at the buzzer after XU missed a shot, grabbed the rebound and committed a turnover.

Demerson grabbed 10 rebounds in his fifth double-double of the season and fourth in six games. D'Alvin Brown scored 14 points for Philander Smith, Busby and Nance had 13 each, and Damarkus Lipscomb had 10 points, nine assists and six steals.

Denzell Erves had 16 points and 11 rebounds -- his 15th double-double of the season -- for the Gold Rush. Freshman RJ Daniels scored a career-high 15 points, 13 in the second half. Anthony Simmons scored 14 points, and Wanto Joseph had 13 points and eight assists.

Xavier outscored Philander Smith 7-0 in the opening 2:02, but Brown's 3-pointer eight minutes later gave the Panthers their first lead, 16-13.

Xavier outshot Philander Smith 51 to 43.1 percent from the floor -- the second consecutive game and the ninth time this season the Gold Rush reached 50 percent -- but was outscored 21-12 at the line. Xavier committed 25 turnovers, its most in a conference game this season, and gained 15.

Philander Smith ended its three-game losing streak and snapped Xavier's four-game winning streak. Also snapped was Xavier's five-game road winning streak. It's the second time the Gold Rush lost in 12 road games this season.

The Panthers gained a regular-season split with Xavier, which won 84-79 at the Convocation Center on Jan. 19, and defeated the Gold Bfor the first time in 10 all-time meetings.

Xavier will stay on the road and play Fisk -- the only other GCAC team to beat the Gold Rush this season --- at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Nashville, Tenn. The next home game will start at 5 p.m. on Feb. 23 against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at the Convocation Center.

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