Gold Rush maintain position among NAIA's top 15

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana dropped two places to 14th in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 on Tuesday.

The Gold Rush (19-7, 8-2 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) are in the top 25 for the 33rd consecutive time -- the longest active streak in the division -- and the 46th time in the last 47 polls. It's the third time in four seasons that Xavier has spent four or more consecutive weeks in the top 15.

Xavier bounced back from a loss at top-5 William Carey last week with a 103-99 overtime home victory Monday against then-No. 24 Philander Smith. The Gold Rush reached 100 points for the first time since the 2009-10 season opener.

The other ranked team from the GCAC is Talladega, which climbed from seventh to sixth. The Tornadoes are in the top 10 for the seventh consecutive poll.

Cal State San Marcos is No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week.

Xavier's next two games will be at home -- 5 p.m. Saturday against Tougaloo, 6 p.m. on Feb. 25 against Belhaven -- then the Gold Rush will close the regular season March 1 at conference and city rival Dillard. Xavier will be one of the hosts of the GCAC Tournament from March 6-9.

The Tougaloo game will include a senior-day ceremony for Xavier Rogers and Olivier Siewe.

The top 25:

1. Cal State San Marcos
2. Pikeville
3. William Carey
4. Southwestern Assemblies of God
5. Freed-Hardeman
6. Talladega
7. Columbia (Mo.)
8. Emmanuel (Ga.)
9. Vanguard
10. Rocky Mountain
11. Benedictine (Kan.)
12. Culver-Stockton
13. LSU-Shreveport
14. Xavier
15. Concordia (Calif.)
16. Georgetown (Ky.)
17. Mid-America Christian
18. Montana State-Northern
19. Rio Grande
20. Wiley
21. Westminster (Utah)
22. Central Methodist
23. St. Gregory's
24. Martin Methodist
25. Arizona Christian


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