Gold Rush defeat Dillard, win 3rd straight GCAC title

Xavier plays host to GCAC tournaments next week

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana won 61-54 at Dillard on Saturday to clinch its third consecutive Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball regular-season championship.

The Gold Rush (22-7, 10-2), ranked 13th in NAIA Division I, closed the regular season with four consecutive victories and won the title by a half-game over Talladega. Xavier will be the No. 1 seed in the GCAC Tournament, which will begin Thursday in New Orleans. Xavier will play its first game in the quarterfinals Friday.

Tournament seedings, pairings and game times will be announced Sunday.

It's the first time that the Gold Rush have won three consecutive regular-season conference championships. It's the first time since 1986-87 that Xavier won the title outright. The championship is the fifth in Dannton Jackson's 11 seasons as head coach.

Anthony Goode scored 16 points, Sydney Coleman 15 and Morris Wright 10 for the Gold Rush. Coleman grabbed nine rebounds, and Wright had a career-high eight rebounds.

Houston Chatman scored 17 points and Lance Theard 14 for the Bleu Devils (4-14, 0-12), who have lost 13 straight.

Xavier led for 38 minutes, including the final 37:06. After Chatman's 3-pointer at 17:16 gave Dillard its only lead, 3-2, Coleman scored 10 seconds later to put the Gold Rush ahead to stay. Xavier led 30-19 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 37-22, after Coleman's two free throws with 17:27 remaining.

Theard's two free throws with 3:04 remaining cut the Gold Rush lead to 52-48, but Xavier scored on its next four posessions, including a Wright 3-pointer at 1:26 which made it 59-50.

Xavier outshot the Bleu Devils 48.8 to 35 percent from the floor, outscored them 17-8 from the line and outrebounded them 39-31. The Gold Rush are 11-0 this season when allowing fewer than 60 points.

Xavier leads the series with its city rival 80-48. The Gold Rush have won 10 of the last 11 meetings and 20 of the last 23. It was Xavier's 10th consecutive victory at Dent Hall. The series began in the 1947-48 season.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
https://twitter.com/xulagold
https://www.facebook.com/xulagold