Rush await Fisk-Dillard winner in GCAC Tournament

NEW ORLEANS -- For the second consecutive year, Xavier University of Louisiana's men's basketball team is the No. 1 seed in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

The tournament will begin Thursday in New Orleans. No. 8 seed Fisk will play No. 9 Dillard in the men's first round at 7 p.m. that day at Dillard's Dent Hall. Xavier -- winner of the GCAC regular-season championship for a school-record third consecutive year -- will play the Fisk-Dillard winner at 7 p.m. Friday at Xavier's Convocation Center.

The Convocation Center will be the site of the men's quarterfinals, semifinals and championship game, along with the women's semifinals and championship. The women's first round and quarterfinals will be played at Dillard. It's the first time since 2005 that New Orleans is the site of the men's and women's tournaments.

Xavier (22-7) won 75-46 at Fisk on Jan. 4 in the teams' only regular-season meeting. The Gold Rush won 62-54 at home against Dillard on Jan. 25 and 61-54 at Dillard on Saturday. The second victory against Dillard gave the Gold Rush the regular-season title by a half-game over Talladega.

If Xavier reaches the semifinals, it would play fourth-seeded Philander Smith or fifth-seeded SUNO at 7 p.m. Saturday. The men's championship game will start at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Xavier seeks its first appearance in the championship game since 2011 and its first tournament championship since 1996. Dillard eliminated Xavier 59-56 in last year's quarterfinals at Little Rock, Ark.

The tournament winner will receive the GCAC's automatic bid to the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship, which will begin March 19 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. Xavier qualified for the national tournament seven times in the past nine seasons, including 2011, 2012 and 2013 as an at-large selection. Xavier is ranked 13th nationally, and a new top 25 will be announced late Tuesday afternoon.

The tournament schedule:

First Round -- Thursday, March 6
At Dillard's Dent Hall
#8 Fisk vs. #9 Dillard, 7 p.m.

Quarterfinals -- Friday, March 7
At Xavier's Convocation Center
#3 Edward Waters vs. #6 Tougaloo, noon
#2 Talladega vs. #7 Voorhees, 2 p.m.
#4 Philander Smith vs. #5 SUNO, 5 p.m.
#1 Xavier vs. Fisk-Dillard winner, 7 p.m.

Semifinals -- Saturday, March 8
At Xavier's Convocation Center
Edward Waters-Tougaloo winner vs. Talladega-Voorhees winner, 5 p.m.
Philander Smith-SUNO winner vs. Xavier-Fisk-Dillard winner, 7 p.m.

Championship -- Sunday, March 9
At Xavier's Convocation Center
Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.

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