NEW ORLEANS -- Daequan Mitchell-Fields scored 22 points Saturday, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:01 remaining, to lead LeMoyne-Owen to a 68-64 men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 13 Xavier University of Louisiana.The Magicians (1-2) of NCAA Division II shot 47.7 percent from the floor, the best by an XU opponent this season, and snapped the seven-game homecoming win streak of the Gold Rush (7-2).
Mitchell's 3-pointer gave LeMoyne-Owen a 56-53 lead after Morris Wright's 3-pointer for Xavier tied the score at 53.
Mitchell, 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-8 on 3-pointers, made his final trey at 3:58 to give the Magicians a 59-54 lead.
The Gold Rush cut the margin to two points twice in the final 20 seconds, but LeMoyne-Owen made 4-of-4 free throws to defeat Xavier for the second straight year.
Marcel Hawkins had 14 points and nine rebounds for LeMoyne-Owen, and Timothy Ware scored 11.
Wright made three 3-pointers and led Xavier with 15 points and a career-high-tying eight assists. Sydney Coleman was 6-of-7 from the floor had 14 points and seven rebounds. Jarvis Thibodeaux led the Gold Rush with eight rebounds.
Coleman's basket in the second minute gave Xavier its final lead, 4-2. LeMoyne-Owen outscored Xavier 9-1 during the next 3:19 and led 37-34 at halftime. The Magicians held double-digit leads in both halves.
Xavier shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the floor. Both teams shot well from long range, with LeMoyne-Owen making 9-of-17 3-pointers and Xavier hitting 8-of-20.
Both Xavier losses this season are to NCAA Division II opponents. The Gold Rush had won four straight since a 62-61 home loss to Albany State on Nov. 6.
Xavier will travel to Marshall, Texas, for a 6 p.m. Tuesday game at Wiley. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 against NAIA No. 9 William Carey.
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information
Director
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