MEMPHIS, Tennessee — In its final game before Christmas, the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team was hotter than chestnuts roasting on an open fire.
The Gold Rush, ranked 17th in NAIA Division I, shot 60 percent from the floor for the game and 68.2 percent in the second half — both season highs — and pulled away for a 65-55 victory against Concordia (Ala.) in the Jerry C. Johnson Classic at LeMoyne-Owen College.
After trailing 31-30 at halftime, Xavier (10-4) made its first eight field-goal attempts of the next period, seven during a 15-0 run in which the Gold Rush seized momentum and didn't let go.
Another season high: four starters scoring in double figures. All-star senior guard Morris Wright had 15 points and led for the 17th straight game, and he was followed closely by Lucas Martin-Julien with 11 points and Elex Carter and Jarvis Thibodeaux with 10 apiece.
Martin-Julien reached double figures for the third time in four games and the sixth time this season. Carter and Thibodeaux matched their season scoring highs. Thibodeaux had consecutive dunks during the second-half run.
Concordia (4-8), a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, made 7-of-10 3-pointers during a first half with 11 lead changes. But Xavier's defense was as effective as its offense in the second half. The Gold Rush limited the Hornets to 29.4 percent from the floor and 3-of-7 from behind the arc.
Wright's 3-pointer at 18:21 put Xavier ahead to stay, 35-33, and Martin-Julien's shot-clock-beating trey from the top of the key at 10:19 gave Xavier its largest lead, 50-38. Concordia never came closer than six points thereafter.
The fifth Xavier starter, Kevin Murph, did not score less than 24 hours after making 3-of-3 3-pointers in a loss to LeMoyne-Owen. But Murph, in his first collegiate start, recorded his first two blocked shots of the season and played a career-best 20 minutes.
Wright matched his season high of five assists, and his final points — a 3-pointer at 1:13 — made him the 18th Gold Rush player to reach 1,200 in a career. Wright has 1,202 points; next in line are Louis Williams (1979-82) with 1,206, Webster Stewart (1987-91) with 1,231 and Alvin "Bo" Dukes (1979-83) with 1,285.
For the game, Concordia shot 41.2 percent from the floor and made 10-of-17 3-pointers. Five Hornets made at least one trey, but only Ken Atwood (four treys, 16 points) scored in double figures. Xavier won the boards by four and was plus-3 in turnovers.
Xavier will begin a five-game home stand after Christmas. Next will be a rematch with LSU-Shreveport at 5 p.m. Dec. 29 in the Gold Rush Holiday Classic at the Convocation Center. Mobile and Fisk are the other two teams in that event.
BOX SCORE
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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