Rush to play March 19 against Mid-America Christian

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana will play at 4:30 p.m. March 19 against 13th-seeded Mid-America Christian in the opening round of the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Kansas City, Mo.

The NAIA announced the pairings of the 32-team event Wednesday evening, five hours after revealing that the Gold Rush (24-9) had qualified for a school-record fifth consecutive year and the 16th time overall.

Xavier finished second in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament. Though unseeded at nationals, the Gold Rush were 19th in Wednesday's coaches poll, and Xavier has the longest current streak of top-25 appearances, 49.

Mid-America Christian, from Oklahoma City, qualified for nationals for the first time. The Evangels (23-10) were the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season champion, then lost 94-60 to Wayland Baptist in the championship game of the conference tournament.

MACU did not receive a vote in this season's national polls until Jan. 20, when it entered at No. 25. The Evangels climbed eight places the following week after a 92-75 home victory against then-No. 8 Oklahoma Baptist.

It will be the first-ever meeting between Xavier and MACU. It will be Xavier's first game against a Sooner team since a 58-57 loss to Northwestern Oklahoma in the second round of nationals in 2007.

Willie Holley is in his 42nd and final season as MACU's head coach. His teams have won 813 games and four national championships in the National Christian College Athletic Association. The Evangels' leading scorer is 5-foot-5 senior point guard Semar Farris, who has 1,220 points in two years and averages 17.6 points this season. Farris was second-team All-America as a junior.

Dannton Jackson is 273-116 in his 12th season as Xavier's head coach. This will be his ninth appearance at nationals. Junior guard Morris Wright (14.5), senior guard Anthony Goode (12.9) and senior forward Sydney Coleman (12.1) are Xavier's leading scorers.

The XU-MACU winner will play fourth-seeded Freed-Hardeman or Missouri Valley in the second round at 8 p.m. Friday. Two victories would put Xavier in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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