NEW ORLEANS — William Loyd and Rayshawn Mart led Xavier University of Louisiana to a wire-to-wire 73-66 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory Saturday against Edward Waters.
Loyd scored a game-high 21 points, including nine free throws — the most in a game this season by a XULA player. Mart produced 15 points and 11 rebounds in his first double-double of the season and the fourth of his career.
Anfernee King chipped in a season-high 11 points for the Gold Rush (11-8, 2-2).
Arcuas McGhee had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Edward Waters (7-9, 2-3), and Cedric McGinnis scored 10. Sean Dinkins grabbed 11 rebounds.
XULA scored the first nine points and led 36-29 at halftime. The largest lead was 61-45 after Haji Jawara's basket with 5:54 remaining.
The Gold Rush are 9-0 at home all-time against the Tigers.
The Gold Rush will visit NAIA No. 10 Tougaloo at 7:30 p.m. Monday, then play Dillard at 5 p.m. next Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at XULA's Convocation Center. Tougaloo is 5-0 and Dillard 4-0 in the GCAC.
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold
NEW ORLEANS — Jas Hill scored 22 points Saturday, and Xavier University of Louisiana escaped with a 70-68 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory against Edward Waters.
The Gold Nuggets (14-5, 4-0) led 48-35 at halftime and 57-43 midway through the third quarter, but the outcome was in doubt until the Lady Tigers (10-9, 2-3) missed two shots — both 2-pointers — on the final possession.
Hill scored 17 first-half points en route to XULA's first 20-point individual performance in 15 games. The junior guard/forward also grabbed a season-best and game-high eight rebounds.
Kyla Duncan scored 12 points for XULA — she reached double figures for the first time in six games — and Joi Simmons scored a season-high-tying 11 points, all in the first half.Nahrie Pierce produced eight points and five rebounds.
Mia Leite scored 18 points, Jermisha Collins 17 and Shakawanza Brown 14 for Edward Waters, the only GCAC team to beat XULA at home last season — that was in the semifinals of the conference tournament.
It was the second straight game that the Gold Nuggets won despite being outscored in 3-of-4 periods. XULA shot 75 percent from the floor to win the second quarter 27-13.
Edward Waters outshot XULA 49.1 to 42.6 percent from the floor, 44 to 25.9 percent in the second half. The Gold Nuggets committed a season-worst 27 turnovers.
The Gold Nuggets will visit Tougaloo at 5:30 p.m. Monday, then play Dillard at 3 p.m. next Saturday in the Crosstown Classic at the Convocation Center. XULA and Dillard share first place in the GCAC, with Talladega a half-game behind at 4-1.
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletics Director for Communications
Department of Athletics & Recreation
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
XULAgold.com
twitter.com/xulagold
www.facebook.com/xulagold
