Xavier's Nick Haywood selected GCAC Player of the Week

Nick Haywood

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Nick Haywood is the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week in men's basketball for Nov. 21-27.

Haywood, a 6-foot junior guard from Monroe, La., and a graduate of Ouachita High School, scored 26 points and made seven 3-pointers Saturday in Xavier's 78-67 loss at Wiley. The points were the most by a Gold Rush player since Michael Harvey scored 27 at home against Tougaloo on Feb. 8, 2010, and the 3-pointers were the most since Mark Stewart made a school-record-tying eight at Mobile on March 7, 2008.

Haywood, who did not start against Wiley, played 29 minutes and was 7-of-17 from the floor and 7-of-13 on 3-pointers. He made all five of his free throws.

This is Haywood's first year at Xavier after playing at NCAA Division I Houston the past two seasons. Through five games he ranks third on the Gold Rush with 9.4 points per game and leads the team with nine made 3-pointers. He averages 17.5 minutes.

The Gold Rush have earned two GCAC player awards this season. Junior forward Denzell Erves received the other for Oct. 31-Nov. 6.

Xavier, 4-1 and ranked 21st in NAIA Division I, will play twice at home this week — against city rival Loyola at 7:30 tonight and against Concordia (Ala.) at 4 p.m. Saturday.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 

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This Week

at The Barn

Saturday, December 3 — Women's Basketball vs. Shorter, 2 p.m. live webcast • live stats 

Saturday, December 3 — Men's Basketball vs. Concordia (Ala.), 4 p.m. live webcast • live stats

NFL's Saints to honor XU alum, journalist Champ Clark

Peter W. "Champ" Clark

NEW ORLEANS — Two-time Xavier University of Louisiana graduate Peter W. "Champ" Clark is one of 10 New Orleans sports journalists and publicists honored by the New Orleans Saints with press-box plaques in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Saints spokesman Justin Macione said the plaques will be displayed on the third row of the press box in time for the Saints' Monday home game against the New York Giants.

Clark, who died in 2006 at age 92, received bachelor's and master's degrees in English from Xavier. He was a pioneering and award-winning African-American journalist, writing for a variety of publications and doing play-by-play of XU basketball games on radio.

The Saints Hall of Fame awarded Clark in 2001 with its Joe Gemelli Fleur De Lis Award for contributions to the franchise.

"My dad was the whole nine yards," Clark's son Mark said. "He was gumbo, he was French bread, he was a snowball, and he was a neighbor sitting on your front porch. He never stopped trying to figure out ways to improve our city."

Bill Curl, Buddy Diliberto, Peter Finney, Hap Glaudi, Wayne Mack, Bruce Miller, Bob Roesler, Jerry Romig and Frank Wilson are the Saints' other honorees.


By Ed Cassiere, SID
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Xavier's Haywood makes seven 3s, but Wiley wins by 11

MARSHALL, Texas — Christopher Tolbert scored nine of his 14 points in the final 10½ minutes Saturday to help Wiley pull away for a 78-67 men's basketball victory against NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana.

The Wildcats (3-2) avenged a 64-60 loss at Xavier from one week ago and spoiled an outstanding performance by Gold Rush guard Nick Haywood, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 26 points

Xavier (4-1) never led after the second minute and trailed by 13 in the first half. The Gold Rush tied the score for the third and final time on Haywood's 3-pointer with 11:19 remaining — that made it 53-all — but Tolbert answered with three consecutive 3-pointers to give Wiley a 73-61 lead at 3:54. The Wildcats shut out Xavier in the final three minutes and defeated the Gold Rush for the fifth straight time at Alumni Gymnasium in six seasons.

Haywood, a junior in his first XU season after transferring from NCAA Division I Houston, was the only Gold Rush player to reach double figures. He scored eight points in the previous three games but had 14 by halftime. Haywood is the first to reach 25 points for Xavier since February 2010 and the first to make seven 3-pointers since Mark Stewart made a school-record-tying eight at Mobile in March 2008.

Cordell Hadnot had nine points and eight rebounds for Xavier, and Kevin Miller grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds. Xavier made a season-best 10 3-pointers in 22 attempts — Miller, Chris Iles and Wanto Joseph made the other treys — but Xavier made 23.5 percent of its 2-pointers and finished at a season-low 32.1 percent overall.

Graylin Smith had 13 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots for Wiley. Richard Simon scored 12 points, and Freddie Haynes had 10.

Smith's basket at 6:43 of the first half gave Wiley a 34-21 lead, but Xavier made 10-of-12 free throws to cut the Wildcats' advantage to 43-36 by halftime.

Wiley shot 51.8 percent from the floor against a Xavier team which ranked fourth in NAIA Division I in field-goal percentage defense. The Gold Rush limited the Wildcats to 37.5 percent one week ago.

It was the first time in 33 games that Xavier lost despite making more free throws than its opponent. The Gold Rush were 21-of-31, and Wiley was 14-of-27.

Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Barn against city rival Loyola in a PSBlive.com webcast.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU Gold Nuggets lead from start to finish against Holy Names

NEW ORLEANS -- Jasmine Grant scored 15 points Friday to lead four starters in double figures in Xavier University of Louisiana's 73-49 women's basketball victory against Holy Names in the Xavier Classic.

Grant, a senior guard who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the final day of this event a year ago, also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

SiMon Franklin and Brandi Young scored 12 points apiece for the Gold Nuggets (5-3), ranked 16th in NAIA Division I, and Jazmoné Kelly had 11 points, a season best, eight rebounds and five steals. Young had a season-high seven assists.

Xavier never lost the lead after scoring the first six points. The Gold Nuggets led 34-25 at halftime, and the final margin was their largest of the game.

Sarah Kilewer scored 16 points and Souljah Evans 15 for Holy Names (4-8). Both scored 11 first-half points.

Kelly and Franklin scored four points apiece in a 12-0 run which gave Xavier a 49-33 lead with 13:13 remaining. Holy Names never got closer than 11 points thereafter.

The Gold Nuggets, who entered the game shooting 37.1 percent from the floor, shot a season-best 49.2 percent -- 57.1 in the second half -- and limited the Hawks to 31.7 percent. Xavier gained 37 turnovers.

Both Xavier and Holy Cross finished 1-1 in the eight-team, two-day event. Rust defeated Mobile 62-61, Tuskegee defeated Texas College 66-52, and Langston beat Dillard 55-42 in Friday's other games. Tuskegee and Langston were the only teams to win both their games. Rust and Dillard were 1-1, and Mobile and Texas College were 0-2.

Xavier's next game will start at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against William Carey at The Barn in a PSBlive.com webcast.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, SID

VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

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Langston rolls past XU in matchup of ranked NAIA teams

NEW ORLEANS — Ayanna Jackson scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half Thursday to lead NAIA No. 19 Langston to a 59-44 women's basketball victory against No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana in the Xavier Classic.

The Lady Lions (6-0) snapped the 14-game home win streak of the Gold Nuggets (4-3).

Kimberly Jones and Shontice Simmons scored 12 points apiece for Langston, and Tayla Vaughn scored 10. Jones grabbed 11 rebounds.

SiMon Franklin scored eight points for Xavier, which never led. Langston took the lead for good in the second minute and limited Xavier's two leading scorers this season, Jasmine Grant and Keldra Hall,.to a combined two points.

Baskets by Danielle Kennebrew, Brandi Young, Paige Rochelle and Dalila Robinson in a 9-2 run helped Xavier cut Langston's lead to 28-25 by halftime. But Langston started the second half with a 12-4 run, including 3-pointers by Jackson and Simmons, to take a 40-29 lead with 14:21 remaining. The Gold Nuggets never got closer than seven points thereafter.

Kennebew's second of two consecutive baskets trimmed Langston's lead to 52-44 with 3:13 remaining, but that was Xavier's final score. The Lady Lions made 7-of-8 free throws in a closing burst.

Xavier shot a season-low 30 percent from the floor. Langston shot 35.2 percent and had advantages of 46-38 in rebounds, 15-6 in made free throws and 6-2 in made 3-pointers. Jackson made three 3-pointers, and Langston limited Grant, Xavier's leading perimeter shooter, to 0-for-1 from behind the arc in a scorless 23 minutes.

Langston, a 62-47 loser to Xavier on the opening night of the Xavier Classic a year ago, gave the Gold Nuggets their biggest loss at The Barn since a 70-55 decision against SUNO on Feb. 12, 2007. It's the second time in 11 seasons that Xavier suffered a double-digit home defeat. Langston also snapped Xavier's seven-game Thanksgiving Day win streak and has won 31 of 34 since losing to the Nuggets in 2010.

Xavier has a two-game losing streak for the first time since the first week of January 2010.

In the other Xavier Classic games, Dillard defeated Rust 77-76 in overtime, Holy Names defeated Texas College 63-59, and Tuskegee beat Mobile 61-58.

Friday's games will match Rust vs. Mobile at noon, Tuskegee vs. Texas College at 2 p.m., Langston vs. Dillard at 4 p.m. and Xavier vs. Holy Names at 6 p.m in a PSBlive.com webcast. Helen Cox will play Terrebonne in a high school girls game at 10:30 a.m.

Box Score

Ed Cassiere, SID

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XU makes a splash in Campbell's-ITA preseason rankings

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana has three singles players and three doubles teams in the Campbell's-Intercollegiate Tennis Association NAIA preseason rankings announced Wednesday.

Most notably:

• Loic Didavi is seventh in men's singles — Xavier's highest ranking since Miroslav Vukicevic was fifth in March 2008.

• Didavi, Steffen Giles-Osborn (career-high 13th) and Amir Rahbar (career-high 46th) give the Gold Rush three nationally ranked singles players for the first time since April 2009.

• The Gold Rush have two nationally ranked doubles teams for the first time. Didavi and Zach Taylor are third — Xavier's highest NAIA ranking ever — and Giles-Osborn and Sean Richardson are 21st.

Nicole DeLoach and Kourtney Howell are 22nd in women's doubles. All the aforementioned XU men and women are ranked in the South, with Didavi second in singles and second in doubles with Taylor. It's the fourth consecutive season that Giles-Osborn has been nationally ranked at least once in singles.

Updated individual rankings will be announced March 7, April 11 and May 23. The NAIA will announce its preseason top-25 team rankings Jan. 31 and first regular-season rankings Feb. 21.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

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St. Aug's RJ Daniels signs scholarship with XU Gold Rush

R.J. Daniels

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — RJ Daniels, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from New Orleans and Saint Augustine High School, signed a men's basketball scholarship Tuesday with Xavier University of Louisiana.

Daniels averaged 8.9 points, six rebounds and two steals per game this past season for the Purple Knights, who were 31-6 and won the Class 5A state championship and the District 10-5A championship. Daniels scored nine points Monday in St. Aug's season-opening 63-43 victory at Brother Martin.

"We are excited to bring RJ into the Xavier family," ninth-year Gold Rush coach Dannton Jackson said. "He is a great addition to our program. He brings a winning attitude and academic excellence to our university. He knows how to win. He's a tough player. He can shoot the ball and take it to the rim."

Daniels, Xavier's first signee for 2012-13, will be a biology/pre-medical major.

RJ Daniels signed a men's basketball scholarship with Xavier University of
Louisiana at the St. Augustine High School library Tuesday. In attendance were,
 from left: XU athletics director Dennis Cousin, XU head coach Dannton Jackson,
 family members Marcel Daniels, Angerean Taylor, Connie Daniels,
Roland Daniels, Caleb Daniels and XU assistant coach Alfred Williams.

(click on all photos to enlarge)

The Gold Rush are 4-0 and ranked 21st in NAIA Division I. The XU men were 27-6 in 2010-11 and qualified for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship for the fifth time in seven seasons. Xavier's 26 seasons of 20 or more victories are the most in the history of Louisiana men's college basketball.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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NEXT GAME: XU Gold Nuggets 
Live Webcast - Xavier vs. Holy Names , Nov. 25, 6 p.m. (click here)

Xavier Classic at The Barn tournament information      Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) 1 p.m. — Dillard vs. Rust 3 p.m. — Holy Names vs. Texas College 5 p.m. — Mobile vs. Tuskegee 7 p.m. — Xavier vs. Langston Friday, November 25 Noon — Rust vs. Mobile 2 p.m. — Tuskegee vs. Texas College 4 p.m. — Dillard vs. Langston 6 p.m. — Xavier vs. Holy Names

Lady Pilots rally in second half to defeat XU Gold Nuggets

SHREVEPORT, Louisiana -- Christy Willis made two 3-pointers during a 21-3 run to open the second half Monday and rally LSU-Shreveport to a 69-65 women's basketball victory against NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana.

Willis, a transfer from NCAA Division I Hampton, came off the bench to make 4-of-5 3-pointers and score 13 points. Simone Brewer scored 14 points for the Lady Pilots (2-2), and Sharde Henry scored 13.

Jasmine Grant, playing in her hometown, scored a season-high 19 points for the Gold Nuggets (4-2). Dalila Robinson scored a season-high 11 points, and Brandi Young scored 10.

SiMon Franklin scored eight points and Young seven to lead Xavier to a 34-29 halftime advantage, but LSUS rallied and took the lead for good, 40-37, on a Willis 3-pointer with 13:48 remaining.

Two Jennifer Hicks free throws at 11:18 gave the Lady Pilots their biggest lead, 50-37.

Grant passed to Robinson for a 3-pointer which cut the Lady Pilots' lead to 66-65 with 31 seconds remaining, but Henry made two free throws with 13 seconds to play. Franklin then missed a 2-pointer, and Willis made 1-of-2 free throws with one second remaining for the final point.

Xavier made 8-of-10 from the floor in the first 10 minutes but shot 28 percent thereafter to finish at 38.8. LSUS shot 45.3 percent from the floor, 52 percent in the second half.

Grant and Robinson made three 3-pointers apiece and were a combined 6-of-10 from long range. They combined for 25 of Xavier's 31 second-half points, including 16 by Grant.

LSUS had a 37-30 rebound advantage. Brewer and Jenna Diakos grabbed seven rebounds apiece for the Lady Pilots.

Xavier will play NAIA No. 19 Langston at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Xavier Classic at The Barn. The other games that day will match Dillard vs. Rust at 1 p.m., Holy Names vs. Texas College at 3 p.m. and Mobile vs. Tuskegee at 5 p.m.

Box score

tournament information

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Thursday, November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) at THE BARN 1 p.m. — Dillard vs. Rust 3 p.m. — Holy Names vs. Texas College 5 p.m. — Mobile vs. Tuskegee 7 p.m. — Xavier vs. Langston Friday, November 25 Noon — Rust vs. Mobile 2 p.m. — Tuskegee vs. Texas College 4 p.m. — Dillard vs. Langston 6 p.m. — Xavier vs. Holy Names

XU Gold Nuggets' early run buries Huston-Tillotson

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Seven players scored in an early 17-0 run Saturday which carried NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana to a 72-41 women's basketball victory against Huston-Tillotson.

The Lady Rams (0-1) scored the first two points, then went scoreless for nearly 7½ minutes. The Gold Nuggets (4-1) led 33-21 at halftime, and the final margin was the game's largest.

Keldra Hall, with 12 points, was Xavier's only double-figure scorer, but 13 teammates scored. Jasmine Grant made three 3-pointers in the first half, and Jazmoné Kelly grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds. SiMon Franklin and Carmen Holcombe scored eight points apiece.

Kandice Smith scored 15 points for Huston-Tillotson, and Jasmine Dukes had 13 points and nine rebounds.

Xavier outshot the Lady Rams 39.5 to 23.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 54-37. The Nuggets gained 27 turnovers and had 16 steals, both season bests.

The Gold Nuggets have won 13 straight at The Barn and 112 of the past 119 games in their campus facility, which was built in 1937 but will be replaced next year by a 4,500-seat arena.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Gold Rush defense steps up late to rally past Wiley

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Chris Iles had 15 points and six assists Saturday, and NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana rallied late for a 64-60 men's basketball victory against Wiley.
The Gold Rush (4-0) have won 20 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents. The Wildcats (2-2) dropped their second in a row.

Wiley had its biggest second-half lead, 58-54, after Freddie Haynes' basket with 7:41 remaining. But Xavier outscored the Wildcats 10-2 thereafter and took the lead for good at 60-58 when Iles passed to Anthony Simmons for a basket with 1:10 remaining. Simmons, who finished with 11 points, scored Xavier's first three baskets of the closing run.

Kevin Miller and Cordell Hadnot scored 10 points apiece for Xavier, and Hadnot grabbed nine rebounds.

Richard Simon had 15 points, six assists and three steals for Wiley, and Kenny La Guerre had 12 points and eight rebounds.

Miller blocked two shots and made two free throws in the final 30 seconds to give Xavier a 62-58 lead. After Simon scored for Wiley with eight-tenths of a second remaining, Iles made two more free throws for the final points.

Iles scored 10 points to lead Xavier to a 34-30 halftime advantage.

Xavier outshot the Wildcats 44.2 to 37.5 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 36-33. The Gold Rush have won 12 straight at home against Wiley since 1986.

The teams will meet again next Saturday at Wiley, making it the second straight year that the Gold Rush and Wildcats meet in consecutive games.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
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D'Souza, Kwame Jackson lead Xavier at national meet

VANCOUVER, Washington -- Anna D'Souza and Kwame Jackson were the fastest finishers for Xavier University of Louisiana on Saturday at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

D'Souza, a senior, ran 5,000 meters in 20 minutes, 26 seconds to place 238th out of 323 women. Her time is the Gold Nuggets' fastest at nationals, surpassing Katrina Davis' 20:40.9 in 2003, and D'Souza closed her XU career with her two fastest 5K times. She was fifth in 20:24.93 at the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championships four weeks earlier.

Jackson, a freshman, ran 8,000 meters in 27:40 to finish 275th out of 312 men. His time is second fastest by a Gold Rush runner at nationals.

Xavier's women finished 30th out of 32 teams, and the men finished 31st out of 32. It's the first time the Gold Nuggets finished ahead of two teams at nationals.

GCAC individual champion Zahri Jackson, Kwame's sister, was 259th in 20:42. Catherine Fakler was 265th in 20:50, Donyé Coleman was 287th in 21:18, Darian Towns was 299th in 21:36, Ashley Taylor was 312th in 21:59, and Hali Yarmush was 315th in 22:09.

In the men's race Xavier's Matt Pieri was 296th in 28:26. Javon Mead was 301st in 28:54, Emmanuel Deteige was 310th in a career-best 30:14, and Jamaal Williams was 312th in 31:37.

Cal State San Marcos won its third consecutive women's championship, and Grand View's Obsie Birru was the individual winner in 17:15. Oklahoma Christian won the men's championship, and Wayland Baptist's Kennedy Kithuka finished in 23:15 to repeat as individual winner.

It was the third time in four seasons that both XU teams competed at nationals.

Women's Individual | Team Results
Men's Individual | Team Results 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Xavier's Pieri named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Matt Pieri is one of 159 men's cross country runners named a 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete, the national organization announced Friday.

Pieri, a junior pharmacy major from New Orleans and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, is the only Gulf Coast Athletic Conference runner, male or female, to earn the honor this season.

Xavier's Matt Pieri is the lone Daktronics - NAIA Scholar- Athlete
 in cross country from the GCAC this season.

Pieri is a three-time All-GCAC runner with a fourth-place finish at the 2009 league meet, the individual championship in 2010 and third place this season. He has been GCAC Runner of the Week a conference-record 10 times in his career and has helped Xavier win GCAC team championships in each of his three seasons.

Student-athletes are nominated by their institution's head coach, must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status to qualify for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

Both Xavier teams will compete Saturday in the season-ending NAIA National Championships at Vancouver, Wash. The men's 8,000-meter race will begin at 10:30 a.m. PST (12:30 p.m. New Orleans time), followed by the 5,000-meter women's race at 11:45 a.m. PST.


By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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Miller, Joseph help unbeaten Rush win 80-71 at Mobile

MOBILE, Alabama — Kevin Miller scored a career-high 20 points Monday, and Wanto Joseph had a season-high 16 to lead NAIA No. 21 Xavier University of Louisiana to an 80-71 men's basketball victory at Mobile.

The Gold Rush (3-0) took the lead for good in the 18th minute when Miller grabbed an offensive rebound, then passed to Jamaan Kenner for a 3-pointer and a 37-35 advantage. Xavier led 44-41 at halftime and held its biggest lead, 73-59, on an Anthony Simmons basket with 2:39 remaining.

Miller reached double figures for the first time this season and shattered his previous career best of 13 points. Joseph, a 5-foot-9 reserve point guard and the team's shortest player, is the only XU player to reach double figures in all three regular-season games.

Ji Kimbrough scored 27 points, 17 in the first half, and made 14-of-14 free throws for Mobile (2-1), and Jonathan Tinch scored 15. The Rams were the preseason favorite in the Southern States Athletic Conference West Division.

Both teams shot 44 percent from the floor. Xavier made 28-of-37 free throws, and Mobile made 20-of-24. Cordell Hadnot grabbed a season-best eight rebounds for Xavier, which had a 35-30 advantage on the boards.

Eleven Gold Rush players scored, including Simmons with nine points and seven rebounds and Kenner with season highs of eight points and two 3-pointers.

Brock Dockery's basket with 18:18 remaining reduced Xavier's lead to 47-45, but the Rush followed with an 11-2 run which included a Miller 3-pointer, two Denzell Erves baskets and three Chris Iles assists. Xavier led by at least seven points for the final 8:52.

The Gold Rush have won four straight and seven of eight against Mobile and lead the series 29-26. The teams will meet again Dec. 6 at The Barn.

Xavier will play Wiley for homecoming at 2 p.m. Saturday at The Barn, and PSBlive.com will webcast that game and the XU women's contest against Huston-Tillotson at noon.

NOTES: Kimbrough scored eight points in the final 2:31 after Xavier established its largest lead . . . The Gold Rush are 3-0 for the 10th consecutive season . . . The XU men have won 34 of their past 41 games and are 10-3 on opponents' courts during that time . . . Xavier's four consecutive victories against Mobile match its longest streak in the series . . . It's the first time in 10 games that either team reached 80 points in the series, and it's the first time in 13 games that both teams reached 70 . . . Iles, a 17-point scorer Friday at home against St. Thomas (Fla.), didn't score again after making 2-of-2 free throws in the second minute. He's 12-of-12 from the line this season and has made 16 in a row dating to this past season . . . Simmons grabbed five offensive rebounds, giving him 14 in three games. Simmons needed nine games in 2010-11 to reach 14 offensive rebounds . . . The Gold Rush are 10-1 against five former Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents — Mobile, Belhaven, Loyola, Spring Hill and William Carey — since they left the league in the summer of 2010 to join the Southern States. Xavier, Belhaven, Spring Hill and William Carey were GCAC charter members in 1981-82.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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VISIT: GCACSPORTS

NEXT GAME:  Saturday, November 19 — Women's Basketball vs. Huston-Tillotson, noon    FREE VIDEO STREAMING -- live on internet   •   live stats
Saturday, November 19 — Men's Basketball vs. Wiley, 2 p.m.  FREE VIDEO STREAMING -- live on internet   •   live stats

Xavier gets rematch at Spring Hill in NAIA opening round

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — Xavier University of Louisiana will get a rematch with Spring Hill on Saturday in the 2011 NAIA Volleyball National Championship Opening Round.

The NAIA announced Sunday the 32 qualifiers and pairings for 12 first-round matches. Xavier (23-6) and Spring Hill (38-1) will meet at the Arthur Outlaw Rec Center on Spring Hill's campus in Mobile, Ala. Starting time has not been determined.

The Gold Nuggets earned an automatic bid to nationals after beating SUNO 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 Saturday in the championship match of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Nashville, Tenn. The appearance at nationals is Xavier's first in four seasons of intercollegiate competition.

Xavier beat SUNO 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 Saturday to win the
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at Nashville, Tenn.

(click on photo to enlarge)

Spring Hill defeated Xavier 25-10, 25-20, 25-12 at Mobile on Sept. 6. Since then the Gold Nuggets have won 22 of 26 matches, including a pair of school-record eight-match win streaks. The Nuggets also set program records for victories, home victories (8), conference victories (10) and victories on opponents' courts (6). Xavier was 11-26 a year ago.

The Badgers won 38 in a row before losing 25-22, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21 Satruday to third-ranked Lee (Tenn.) in the title match of the Southern States Athletic Conference Championships at Biloxi, Miss. Spring Hill beat Lee in five sets in mid-September.

"Spring Hill is a strong program. To be ranked 16th and have an astounding 38-1 record is very respectable," said Xavier first-year coach Christabell Hamilton. "We have grown a lot as a team since our first meeting, and I am excited for the match this weekend. This will be a good challenge for us."

Xavier is 0-10 all-time against Spring Hill, with the six most recent losses occurring in straight sets.

Saturday's other first-round matches are Carroll (Mont.) at College of Idaho, Montreat at Indiana Wesleyan, La Sierra at Vanguard, Robert Morris (Chicago) at Missouri Baptist, Point Park at Indiana Tech, Cal State San Marcos at Point Loma Nazarene, Lindsey Wilson at Taylor, Oklahoma Baptist at Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene at Bellevue, Grand View at Olivet Nazarene and Freed-Hardeman at Indiana East. First-round byes went to Azusa Pacific, Biola, Columbia (Mo.), Concordia (Calif.), Embry-Riddle (Fla.), Fresno Pacific, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Morningside, Rocky Mountain, Southern Oregon and Texas at Brownsville.

The winners of the Saturday matches will advance with the 12 teams with byes to the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, for the NAIA National Championship presented by CNOS Foundation Nov. 29-Dec. 3.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

Xavier Nuggets finish the job, sweep SUNO to win GCAC tourney

NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- Moira Kirk knew it during warmups Saturday. Taylor Reuther knew it during the first set. Coach Christabell Hamilton knew it late in the third set.

All three were confident, though at different points, that the Xavier University of Louisiana's women's volleyball team was going to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. The Gold Nuggets concluded a 4-0 run through the three-day, double-elimination event with a 25-12, 25-17, 25-20 victory Saturday against city rival SUNO.

The victory was the school-record-tying eighth in a row for the Gold Nuggets (23-6), who earned the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which will begin next Saturday at 12 campus sites. Teams and pairings will be announced early next week. It's the first conference tournament championship and bid to nationals for the Gold Nuggets' 4-year-old program which began in 2003, then took a hiatus in 2005 because of Hurricane Katrina before resurfacing a year ago.

Reuther, who shared tournament MVP with Talladega's Shalitha Swain, had 10 kills and 18 digs in the title match. Kirk, Xavier's other all-tournament selection, hit .609 -- 16 kills in 23 attacks with no errors -- and had seven blocks. Both Reuther and Kirk are among seven Xavier freshmen this season, four of whom started in the title match.

Chinedu Echebelem, another freshman, and Iva Bobkova had five kills apiece, and Celeste Poe had 13 digs for Xavier.

Third-seeded SUNO (20-11) eliminated defending champion and second-seeded Dillard 22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22 and had just 30 minutes to replenish calories and prepare for a championship round in which the Lady Knights would need two more victories to prevent a Xavier championship. But the Gold Nuggets -- who sent Dillard into the losers bracket Friday with a one-for-the ages rally from two sets down -- started strongly with 5-0 and 15-5 first-set leads. SUNO's only leads in the final were at 2-1 and 4-3 in the third set, and the Lady Knights finished second for the second consecutive year.

"We had energy and an excitement to win," said Kirk, announced Wednesday as GCAC Freshman of the Year. "We had fought too hard against Dillard last night. We didn't want to give up after fighting for it so much.

"I just felt in the warmup we were going to win. We're always high energy when we warm up, but this time it just felt different."

Reuther couldn't make any predictions until after the Nuggets' blazing start in which they produced seven kills, two aces and a block in the first 18 rallies.

"We crushed SUNO's momentum from the beginning," said Reuther, who had 11 second-set digs en route to her team-leading 12th kill-dig double-double. "We stuck together after that and played Xavier volleyball. I had confidence we were going to finish strongly."

Hamilton didn't feel confident until the final 10 rallies, and before that she kept reminding her team "that if we didn't stay focused we could easily end up the way Dillard did last night -- winning the first two sets and not being able to finish. We had to finish strongly."

Kirk led the way in that department. Her final six swings in the third all went for kills. Xavier hit .320 with 39 kills and seven errors in 100 attacks.

Xavier won all 14 of its matches this season against the GCAC -- the Nuggets were 10-0 in the regular season and won that championship too -- in a rags-to-riches climb from 11-26 in 2010. Hamilton, hired in mid-June, is in her first season as a collegiate head coach. She'll turn 30 Christmas Day.

"This has been a great experience," Kirk said. "Learning and becoming a better volleyball player . . . and bonding as a team."

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: GCACSPORTS

XU Gold Nuggets come from 16 down to win at Georgetown (Ky.)

GEORGETOWN, Kentucky -- Senior center Keldra Hall scored eight points during a closing rally Saturday which lifted NAIA No. 16 Xavier University to a 79-76 women's basketball victory against host Georgetown in the Chick-fil-A Classic.

The Gold Nuggets (3-1) trailed by 16 points late in the first half, 41-28 at halftime and 70-61 with 4:09 remaining before an 18-6 run in which they scored on their final eight possessions.

Hall had a pair of 3-point plays during the rally, with the second putting Xavier ahead to stay at 71-70 with 1:54 remaining.

"It's hard on the road," Xavier coach Bo Browder said. "But the Gold Nuggets know how to fight!"

Hall finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Brandi Young scored 17 points -- including 2-of-2 3-pointers and 9-of-10 free throws -- Jasmine Grant scored 12 and Carmen Holcombe and Jessica Savannah had 11 apiece. Grant made 4-of-8 3-pointers. Holcombe added a career-high eight rebounds and Savannah, a freshman, did not miss any of her seven shots.

Grant's final 3-pointer followed a Holcombe steal and gave Xavier a 74-70 lead with 1:42 remaining. Young made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 12 seconds.

It was the first time in five years that the Nuggets won despite surrendering 75 or more points.

Andrea Howard had 19 points and six rebounds for Georgetown (4-1). Mikkah Rogers scored a season-high 18 points. Jessica Waddle had 17 points and five rebounds, and Devon Golden had 10 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.

Howard scored 15 first-half points and passed to Waddle for a 3-pointer which gave the Tigers their biggest lead, 41-26, with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. Grant answered with a 3-pointer on the next possession.

Georgetown outshot the Nuggets 39.6 to 35.3 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 46-35.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

XU Gold Rush rally in second half to defeat Bobcats

NEW ORLEANS -- Another home victory, another free-throw feast. It was more of the same Friday for the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball team.

Chris Iles scored 17 points, Anthony Simmons 16 and Wanto Joseph 10 to lead Xavier, ranked 21st in NAIA Division I, to a 69-59 decision over St. Thomas (Fla.) at The Barn.

The Gold Rush (2-0) rallied from a 34-30 halftime deficit, outscored the Bobcats 33-7 in free throws -- 11-0 in the second half -- and won for the 22nd time in the past 23 home games.

Xavier attempted 48 free throws and improved to 31-0 since November 2009 when making more free throws than opponents. Iles, the team's most accurate free-throw shooter this past season, was 10-of-10 from the line, all in the first half. Joseph made 8-of-12 free throws, and Kevin Miller was 4-of-4.

Simmons scored 11 second-half points, and his basket with 8:48 remaining put the Gold Rush ahead to stay at 49-47. That followed 16 ties and 12 lead changes.

Joseph's free throws with 27 seconds remaining gave the XU men their biggest lead, 67-55, and capped a 10-0 run which covered nearly 3½ minutes.

Jeffery Remmington scored 16 points and Dylan O'Sullivan 15 for the Bobcats (1-2), who lost Thursday at Loyola. Both players had nine first-half points.

St. Thomas, an NAIA Division II member, outshot Xavier 44.4 to 39.5 percent from the floor. Both teams grabbed 27 rebounds, and the Gold Rush committed 19 turnovers and gained 25.

The Bobcats were assessed with 33 fouls, two less than they committed at Loyola.

The Gold Rush and Bobcats will meet again Dec. 29 in the St. Thomas Classic. Next for Xavier will be a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday game at Mobile.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

Xavier Nuggets outlast Dillard, reach title round of GCAC tourney

Moira Kirk

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — No deficit, it seems, is too great for the Xavier University of Louisiana women's volleyball team.

Moira Kirk had 13 kills and four blocks, and Taylor Reuther had 10 kills, 23 digs and two aces Friday to help the Gold Nuggets rally for a 20-25, 18-25, 27-25, 26-24, 17-15 victory against Dillard in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.

"It was such a great comeback," said Xavier coach Christabell Hamilton, whose team trailed 15-8 in the fourth set and fought off four Dillard match points — one in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth. "When we won I was jumping up and down like a kid, which is something I never do."

Taylor Reuther

Xavier (22-6), the tourney's top seed and only unbeaten team, will play Dillard or SUNO in the championship round of the double-elimination event at 1 p.m. Saturday. It's the first time in the Gold Nuggets' four seasons that they reached the finals.

Dillard, the defending champion and No. 2 seed, and third-seeded SUNO will play at 11 a.m. Saturday in an elimination match. SUNO stayed alive with a 23-25, 25-12, 25-11, 25-9 victory against Tougaloo and a 25-18, 25-12, 25-16 victory against Talladega.

A Xavier victory in the 1 p.m. match will end the tournament. If the Gold Nuggets lose, they and their opponent will meet again at 3 p.m. to decide the championship and the GCAC's automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship, which begins next Saturday.

Patrice Hightower

Chinedu Echebelem's fifth-set kill, her 10th of the contest, saved a Dillard match point and tied the score at 15, then Xavier advanced with its seventh straight victory after consecutive Dillard attack errors.

"We have such fight and such heart," said Reuther, whose kill-dig double-double was her 11th of the season. "I always know we have a chance to come back."

Jeanay Butler and Iva Bobkova had eight kills apiece for Xavier, and Patrice Hightower had nine digs and a career-best 45 assists

"We communicated a lot more those final two sets," Hightower said. "We made adjustments on defense and in our blocking. I wasn't surprised we came back because we've done it all year. I have faith and trust in my teammates. I love this team so much."

Chinedu Echebelem

The Gold Nuggets have won 10 consecutive matches which lasted longer than three sets. They're 3-0 this season against Dillard (18-11), the defending tournament champion.

Xavier's current victory streak includes three matches in which the Nuggets trailed by a set. It was the second time in the program's history that Xavier rallied from a 2-sets-to-none deficit — the other time was against Dillard a year ago at The Barn.

"Those first two sets we weren't playing Xavier volleyball," Hamilton said. "We were not looking like ourselves and that's what frustrated me so much."

Reuther produced 17 digs in the final three sets and finished with a career high.

Jeanay Butler

"We started fighting as a team instead of individually," Reuther said. "That's why we meshed so well and came back as strongly as we did."

There were 15 ties and five lead changes in the third set, which Xavier capped with kills by Echebelem and Bobkova, but the Nuggets never led in the fourth until Kirk closed the set with consecutive kills. Kirk, the GCAC Freshman of the Year, had five kills in that set after the Nuggets trailed by seven.

The fifth set had 10 ties and four lead changes. Xavier led 8-5 after a Dillard attack error, and the Lady Bleu Devils had match point after Paula Ogbevoen's kill made it 15-14. But the Nuggets rallied one more time in a deciding set in which Dillard aided Xavier with eight errors.

"We never, ever give up," Hightower said.

Box score

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS

VISIT: GCACSPORTS