MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior guard Xavier Rogers scored a career-high 19 points Monday to lead NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 88-72 men's basketball victory against Mobile.The Gold Rush (3-0) shot better than 55 percent from the floor for the third consecutive game. Xavier finished at 56 percent after shooting 64 percent in the second half.
Rogers was 7-of-7 from 2-point range.
Sydney Coleman scored 15 points, 13 in the second half, and was Xavier's only other double-figure scorer. Gary Smith, Morris Wright, Olivier Siewe and RJ Daniels scored nine points apiece for the Rush -- Siewe reached a career high, and Smith matched his career high for the second straight game.
Smith had seven points and two assists after returning to the game with four fouls with 6:32 remaining.
Brandon Morris, with 22 points, was the lone double-figure scorer for Mobile (1-1). Morris made four of the Rams' 11 3-pointers.
The teams were tied at 33 at halftime. Kwame Beard's basket gave Mobile a 45-42 lead with 15:33 remaining, but Siewe and Coleman produced consecutive 3-point plays in a decisive 16-3 run during the next 4½ minutes.
Xavier led by double digits for the final 9:35 and defeated Mobile for the eighth consecutive time and the 11th time in their last 12 meetings. They'll meet again Dec. 5 at Xavier.
Xavier limited the Rams to 41.2 percent from the floor, outscored them 30-19 from the line and outrebounded them 39-21. The Gold Rush have outrebounded all three opponents by 14 or more.
Coleman led Xavier with eight rebounds, and Jarvis Thibodeaux had seven. Both were season highs.
Mobile opened its season Thursday with a one-point home victory against NAIA No. 23 Life.
Xavier's next game will start at 7 p.m. Thursday against Wiley at the Convocation Center. It will be the first of three consecutive Gold Rush home games.
Box scoreBy Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAATHLETICS
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