Gold Rush climb to 12th, extend NAIA top-25 streak to 35

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana climbed one spot to 12th Tuesday in the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Rush (22-7) are in the top 25 for the 35th consecutive time -- the longest active streak in the division -- and the 48th time in the last 49 polls.

Xavier closed the regular season with four consecutive victories, including a 61-54 decision at Dillard on Saturday to clinch a school-record third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season championship. Although Xavier still trails Talladega in the national rankings, the Gold Rush will be seeded first in the GCAC Tournament, which will start Thursday in New Orleans, by virtue of highest winning percentage in conference games.

Xavier will play in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday at XU's Convocation Center. The Gold Rush will play the winner of a first-round game between Fisk and Dillard.

Talladega is No. 7 nationally -- its ninth consecutive appearance in the top 10 -- and will be the first top-10 team in the GCAC Tournament since 2010. The Tornadoes are seeded second and will play Voorhees at 2 p.m. Friday at the Convocation Center.

Cal State San Marcos is No. 1 for the sixth consecutive week. Pikeville is No. 2 for the fifth straight week, and William Carey -- a team Xavier defeated in overtime in December -- is No. 3 for the third consecutive week.

New rankings will be announced March 12. They'll be the final rankings before the national tournament, which will begin March 19 in Kansas City, Mo.

The top 25:

1. Cal State San Marcos
2. Pikeville
3. William Carey
4. Columbia (Mo.)
5. Southwestern Assemblies of God
6. Emmanuel (Ga.)
7. Talladega
8. Freed-Hardeman
9. Vanguard
10. Benedictine (Kan.)
11. Rocky Mountain
12. Xavier
13. LSU-Shreveport
14. Culver-Stockton
15. Arizona Christian
16. Georgetown (Ky.)
17. St. Gregory's
18. Wiley
19. (tie) Westminster (Utah)
19. (tie) Montana State-Northern
21. Lindenwood-Belleville
22. Wayland Baptist
23. Hope International
24. Evangel
25. MidAmerica Nazarene

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