XU Gold Rush pull away in second half, win 91-67 in opener

The 2013-14 Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team.
 
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NEW ORLEANS -- Newcomer Sydney Coleman, one of five from Xavier University of Louisiana in double figures, scored 17 points Friday to lead the Gold Rush to a 91-67 men's basketball victory against Carver.

Xavier has won 18 consecutive season openers, 15 by double digits.

Coleman -- a 6-foot-7 junior forward who transferred from Jackson State and is a preseason All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection -- was 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the line in 25 minutes.

Xavier Rogers had 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for Xavier. Morris Wright had 12 points, six rebounds and eight assists, RJ Daniels scored 11 and Anthony Goode scored 10. Wright, a sophomore guard, and Goode, a junior guard, are in their first year at Xavier. Goode scored all his points in the first half.

Julian Bratton scored 22 points, 17 in the first half, for Carver (2-2). Derek Douglas scored 21.

Xavier led 46-38 at halftime. Two Douglas free throws cut the Gold Rush lead to 46-45 with 18:25 remaining, but Rogers scored five points during a 7-0 run in the next two minutes, and Xavier led by double digits for the final 11:36.

Xavier outshot the Cougars 57.1 to 29 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 48-32. Redshirt freshman Wesley Pluviose-Philip, in his first collegiate game, led the Rush with 10 rebounds and scored eight points.

"Wes nearly had a double-double, and he defended well against Joseph Comer, who scored 19 against us last year," said 11th-year XU head coach Dannton Jackson. "Comer is a tough matchup, but Wes mastered him."

The Gold Rush reached 90 points in regulation for the first time since January 2011.

"I liked our guys' effort and tempo," Jackson said. "I liked that we got the ball inside early and often. We have eight new players this season, so it's a totally different team than last year's. We just need to continue to grow and improve. It's a journey."

The teams combined to shoot 68 free throws to start a season in which rules prohibiting defensive hand-checking are expected to be enforced more frequently and consistently. Xavier was 25-of-30 from the line -- Rogers was 5-for-5 -- and Carver finished 24-of-38 after a 19-of-27 first half. Nine-of-10 players from Carver and 10-of-11 from Xavier went to the line.

Xavier will travel to LSU for a 7 p.m. Wednesday exhibition -- there will be free admission for everyone that night -- then the Gold Rush will play host to Albany State at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9 in the opener of a Rush/Gold Nuggets doubleheader.

Box score

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