Second-half rally gives Gold Rush another 2-point victory over SUNO

NEW ORLEANS -- Denzell Erves' dunk with 48 seconds remaining Saturday lifted NAIA No. 14 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 68-66 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against SUNO at The Castle.

The Gold Rush (22-6 overall, 9-3 GCAC) snapped a two-game losing streak and remained in a first-place tie in the conference with Philander Smith, which won at home against Edward Waters.

Erves led Xavier with 16 points and nine rebounds. Renard Smith had 14 points, four assists and a career-high five steals, and Wanto Joseph had 12 points, six assists and three steals.

Freshman RJ Daniels passed to Erves for the winning dunk on the right baseline. SUNO missed two field-goal attempts in the final 36 seconds and was unable attempt a shot after rebounding the second of Joseph's two missed free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining.

Xavier trailed 41-33 at halftime and 61-56 with six minutes remaining, then scored nine consecutive points. SUNO took its last lead after Joshua Major's sixth 3-pointer of the game made it 66-65 at 2:19.

Major led the Knights (12-7, 6-6) with 19 points. Clyde Moore had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Russell Hill -- in his SUNO debut after transferring from Southern -- scored 10 points in 15 reserve minutes. SUNO made 12-of-23 3-pointers.

Both teams shot 46.9 percent from the floor.

Xavier won both regular-season meetings with SUNO by two points. The other was 70-68 in overtime on Jan. 14. Seven of the last nine meetings were decided by four points or fewer. Xavier swept SUNO in the regular season for the first time in three years and won its sixth straight at The Castle.

Xavier will visit Tougaloo at 7:30 p.m. Monday, then play Dillard at 5 p.m. next Saturday in the regular-season-ending Crosstown Classic at XU's new Convocation Center. Reserved tickets, priced at $5, will go on sale at the Convocation Center box office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and be available through Thursday. Tickets purchased on game day will cost $10. Students can pick up one free ticket with a valid XU ID from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Monday at the Student Activities Office in room 208 (second floor) of the University Center.

NOTES: Xavier has led or shared the lead in the GCAC after every conference date this season. Xavier shared the regular-season championship with Tougaloo a year ago after rallying from 2½-games behind in the final 13 days . . . Philander Smith will play its remaining two GCAC games at home -- Monday against Talladega and Saturday against Fisk. Both opponents lost in double overtime to Philander Smith in January . . . Erves, Joseph and Anthony Simmons moved closer to 1,000 career points. Erves has 977, Joseph 973 and Simmons 943 . . . The men's and women's GCAC tournaments will begin Feb. 28 in Little Rock, Ark., and conclude March 2.

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