Friday, January 18, 2019

Former Texas Southern and Tennessee State HC Bill Thomas passes away


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Texas Southern and Jackson State set to tip-off live on ESPNU


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JSU must break bad habits to find success during stretch against SWAC's top offenses


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Loyd continues family tradition with Gold Rush

NEW ORLEANS — After a gap of nearly 20 years, there's another Loyd on the Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball roster.
    
 William Loyd — a 6-foot-5 junior forward from Baton Rouge, La., and in his first season at XULA — ranks third on the Gold Rush through the first 17 contests of 2018-19 with 12.1 points per game. Loyd leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game, a field-goal percentage of .571, 11 double-figure scoring games, four double-figure rebounding games and three double-doubles.
     
Nationally, Loyd ranks 14th in NAIA Division I with 3.2 offensive rebounds per game. He's grabbed at least two offensive rebounds in every game.
    
Loyd is the son of Khris Loyd, who played for the Gold Rush from 1987-92. Khris's older brother, Kenny, played from 1982-86, and younger brother Kraig competed from 1995-99. All three were members of Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship teams. Kenny was 12th at XULA with 450 career rebounds when he completed his eligibility. Thirty-two years later, he's still a respectable 26th.
     
Khris (Louisiana Lemonade) and Kenny (South Coast Paper) are successful business owners. Kraig is a pharmacist.
     
The Loyd/XULA connections do not stop at basketball. Kenny's wife, the former Andrea Cox, and Kraig's wife, the former Niechelle Briggs, are XULA graduates. So is Kenny's daughter, Tayler, who was a men's basketball student manager. Beatrice Farmeal, an aunt of Khris, Kenny and Kraig, and Herman Loyd, an uncle, also earned XULA degrees.
     
Despite three generations of Loyds at XULA, the university wasn't prominent on William's recruiting radar during his time at Madison Preparatory Academy, where he helped the Chargers win LHSAA state championships his senior (Class 2A) and junior (1A) seasons.
     
"There was no pressure from anyone in the family to go to Xavier," Loyd said. "It was my decision."
     
Strongest interest during high school came from NCAA Division II member Spring Hill and DI schools Northwestern State and CSU Bakersfield. Loyd chose Spring Hill, where he averaged nine points and 5.5 rebounds in 55 games with 44 starts his first two seasons.
     
But when five-year head coach Aaron Niven departed after the 2017-18 season, Loyd's interest in Spring Hill waned. DII Southwest Baptist was a strong option — Niven became an assistant coach there soon after leaving Spring Hill — but so, finally, was XULA. The reason: family intervention.
     
"Uncle Kenny called coach AJ (Alfred Williams) and let him know I was leaving Spring Hill," Loyd said.
     
Soon an agreement was reached. Loyd transferred to XULA and attended his first classes during the second summer session of 2018.
     
"It was better for me to go to Xavier," Loyd said. "It's close to home, and it's easy for my family to come see me play."
     
Loyd didn't start in the opener against Keiser in the Virgin Islands, but he finished with 11 rebounds, five offensive, and a game-high 14 points in a 44-41 victory. Loyd's other double-doubles were on the road against ranked NAIA opponents: 22 points and 10 rebounds against current No. 1 LSU-Alexandria, and 15 points and 11 rebounds against Cumberlands.
     
"William Loyd has been tremendous for us, and he has room to grow," Williams said. "I like his toughness, his strength, his defensive abilities. He's grabbed so many offensive rebounds for us — he's great at getting in position for those and getting extra opportunities for us, which has been big for our team."
     
Loyd is a business management major, but he also is interested in a career in physical therapy. An internship in the latter field this summer — "I'm working right now to get that set up," he said — could provide definitive direction.
     
Loyd also wants to pursue his dream of professional basketball. Cousin Jordan Loyd — Kenny's son — is a rookie guard this season with the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
     
"I think I could play pro," Loyd said. "I'll have to work on my outside shooting, my ballhandling skills, my defense, but I can do it. No matter where you are, you should always be working to improve yourself."

This story also was published in the XULA-Oakwood game notes of Jan. 17, 2019.

 Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 
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Gold Rush hang on to defeat Ambassadors 89-85

Xavier University of Louisiana men's basketball NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was successful on 14 consecutive field-goal attempts Thursday, including its last 12 of the first half, and needed every one of them to earn an 89-85 men's basketball victory against first-time opponent Oakwood.
     
The Gold Rush (10-8) will play host to Edward Waters in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference game at 5 p.m. Saturday. It'll be a doubleheader, with the Gold Nuggets and Lady Tigers tipping off at 3 p.m.
     
XULA shot 84.2 percent from the floor in the first half — 16 makes in 19 attempts — to build a 48-29 lead at the break, then extended the advantage to 62-36 before the Ambassadors (6-10) produced a 49-27 run in the final 14 minutes.
     
Sophomores Galen Smith, Rayshawn Mart and Ed Carter scored 14 points apiece for the Gold Rush. It was a sensational night for Smith, who had career bests in points, assists (6) and steals (3). He also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and was 6-of-8 from the floor.
     
Carter was similarly proficient. He was 5-of-7 from the floor and had six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
     
Talik Talton scored 27 points, 19 in the second half, for Oakwood, the third-ranked team in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association, and Edmen Stewart scored a season-high-tying 20. The Ambassadors shot 49.1 percent from the floor, 61.5 percent in the second half.
     
XULA began its lengthy can't-miss shooting when Carter made made a 2-pointer at 10:38, and Anfernee King followed with another at 10:11. The streak increased to 14 in a row when Smith and Donovan Armstrong opened the second half with baskets, then ended when Mart missed a 3 with 17:42 remaining.
     
XULA finished at a season-high 61.2 percent from the floor (30-of-49), its best percentage since hitting 66.7 percent on Dec. 1, 2016, at home against Paul Quinn. The Gold Rush reached 50 percent for the third time in the last four games and the sixth time this season.
     
Talton led Oakwood's second-half rally by making 7-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-7 free throws.
     
The teams will meet in two weeks in Huntsville, Ala.

 BOX SCORE

Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold 
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HU Track and Field Gears Up for the NYC Gotham Cup


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TSU track and field sets sight on Vanderbilt Invitational


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Harris-Stowe Hornets Snap Five Game Losing Streak


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Wiley Lady Wildcats fall to No. 11 Our Lady of the Lake


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HSSU Hornets Come Up Short In Overtime

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No. 10 Stillman College Rolls Past Bethel, 90-75


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Women's Basketball: Stillman Falls Short in Upset Bid of No. 16 Bethel (Tenn.)


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No.13 Wiley Wildcats Steamroll Our Lady of The Lake



NO. 13 WILDCATS STEAMROLL OUR LADY OF THE LAKE
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LU Women's Basketball Falls Short to MACU


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Gray named SWAC's Women's Track Athlete of the Week


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Talking Hoops With N.C. A&T Head Coach Jay Joyner


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MONDAY On FloSports.tv.@4pm ET: Morgan State Bears at North Carolina Central Eagles


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Howard Swimming's Nickolas Wins Third CCSA Diver of the Week Honors


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HU Women’s Basketball Goes on the Road to Face South Carolina State


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Coppin State Lady Eagles Head To North Carolina For Two-Game Road Trip


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Coppin State Men's Hoops Prepares to Make North Carolina MEAC Road Swing


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MSU's Sherwyn Devonish-Prince Jr. is Making Every Day Count


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Tutunovic’s Late Free Throws Lift Tigers Over Central State


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Livingstone College Dubs Morris, 90-67


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CIAA Tournament is Bigger Than Basketball For Baltimore To Profit


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