NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Jalen Gray scored 15 points -- including 8-of-8 free throws in the final eight minutes -- to help Loyola edge NAIA No. 19 Xavier University of Louisiana 57-52 in men's basketball Thursday at The Den.
The Gold Rush (8-3) and Wolf Pack (5-3) split their two-game regular-season series for the fourth consecutive season and the sixth time in the last eight seasons. Xavier won 86-73 at Xavier Nov. 9. Xavier leads the series 33-10.
Gray's final two free throws, with 46 seconds remaining, gave Loyola a 55-52 lead. Xavier missed its final four field-goal attempts in the final 34 seconds, including a Morris Wright 3-pointer which would have tied the score. Loyola's Tre'Von Jasmine closed the scoring with a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining.
Loyola used seven players and had four double-figure scorers. Nate Pierre had 13 points and 11 rebounds, Johnny Griffin had 12 points and four blocked shots, and Jasmine scored 11.
Wright, with 16 points, led Xavier in scoring for the 14th consecutive game dating to last season. Lucas Martin-Julien scored 12, and RJ Daniels had 10 points and seven rebounds.
Xavier's Jarvis Thibodeaux had career highs of 17 rebounds and three blocked shots. The 17 rebounds are the most in a game by a Gold Rush player in the last 12 seasons.
Wesley Pluviose-Philip scored the game's first two points and gave Xavier its only lead. Jasmine's 3-pointer at 16:12 put the Wolf Pack ahead to stay, 7-4, and Loyola led 29-24 at halftime. The Wolf Pack led by nine points three times in the second half.
Loyola outshot Xavier 37.5 to 32.7 percent from the floor, but the Gold Rush grabbed a season-best 18 offensive rebounds and outrebounded the Wolf Pack 43-31. Neither team missed a free throw in the final eight minutes -- Loyola made 10, Xavier six.
It was the final Gold Rush game before fall-semester final exams. Xavier will resume its schedule at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 at NAIA No. 14 William Carey.
BOX SCORE
Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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