JACKSON, Mississippi -- Morris Wright scored 17 points, and RJ Daniels and Jarvis Thibodeaux produced double-doubles to lead NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 78-55 men's basketball victory against Belhaven.The Gold Rush (3-0) defeated the Blazers (0-2) for the second time in six days.
Wright, an All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference guard as a sophomore last season, and Anthony Goode scored 11 points apiece to help Xavier extend a 38-28 halftime advantage. Thibodeaux's basket with 35 seconds remaining closed the scoring and gave Xavier its biggest lead.
Wright made all seven of his free-throw attempts and had four assists, a block, three steals and no turnovers in 33 minutes.
Daniels produced 12 points and 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double -- he had none in his previous two XU seasons -- and Thibodeaux had 10 points and a career-best 12 rebounds for his first XU double-double.
Goode scored 16 points and made two of Xavier's four 3-pointers. Reserve guards Troy Salvant and Gary Smith had seven points apiece.
Jordan Bedford, with 18 points, was Belhaven's lone double-figure scorer. Bedford made 5-of-6 3-pointers and is 11-of-17 from long range through two games.
Xavier trailed 8-2 through the first 3 1/2 minutes, then took the lead for good with a 21-4 run. Wright's basket at 12:52 put the Gold Rush ahead to stay, 10-8, and Goode and Smith capped the run with 3-pointers for a 23-12 lead at 9:17.
Xavier outshot the Blazers 44.1 to 40 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-26. Xavier committed a season-low 10 turnovers and gained 19 for its largest turnover margin in nearly two years.
The winning margin is the Gold Rush's fifth largest in the series, which Xavier leads 49-13.
This was the lone road game in Xavier's first nine contests. The Gold Rush will play NCAA Division II's Albany State at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Convocation Center.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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