Free throws help Gold Rush escape with 56-55 victory

MOBILE, Ala. — Xavier Rogers made two free throws with four seconds remaining Saturday to give NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana a 56-55 men's basketball victory against Voorhees on the second and final day of the Spring Hill Classic.

The Gold Rush (11-2) scored the final four points in the final seven seconds, all from the line, after leading 25-14 at halftime and by 18 early in the second half.

Wanto Joseph scored 18 points, Anthony Simmons had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Denzell Erves and Nick Haywood scored 10 each for Xavier. Brandon Allen scored 12 points and Dominick Steverson 11 for the Tigers (9-7).

Andre Datcher's basket with 2:42 remaining gave Voorhees its first lead of the second half, 54-52, and Steverson made 1-of-2 free throws with 17 seconds remaining for the Tigers' final points. But in the final 11 seconds, Voorhees missed a pair free throws and was whistled for two free-throw violations.

Joseph made amends for his turnover with 11 seconds remaining by making two free throws with seven seconds to play to cut Voorhees' advantage to 55-54. Then Voorhees' Jeffrey Evans missed a free throw with six seconds remaining and was called for a violation on his second attempt.

Evans then fouled Rogers, who converted both attempts to clinch the victory and improve Xavier's road record this season to 5-0. Xavier was the only team to win twice in this event.

It was Xavier's first one-point victory since a 43-42 road decision against SUNO on Feb. 7, 2008.

Joseph's basket with 15:27 remaining gave the Gold Rush a 32-14 lead. But Voorhees — 5-of-26 from the floor during the first 24 minutes — looked like a different team during the next 12½ minutes, making 18-of-21 from the floor and outscoring Xavier 40-20. Steverson scored 10 points and Datcher nine during the rally.

For the game, Voorhees outshot Xavier 48.9 to 30.6 percent from the floor, but the Gold Rush made 24-of-31 free throws and outrebounded the Tigers 40-27.

The double-double was Simmons' sixth of the season, all in the last eight games, and the 12th of his career. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds Friday in a 64-57 victory against Martin Methodist.

Simmons made 11-of-14 free throws against Voorhees to establish career highs in both categories.

Martin Methodist defeated Spring Hill 71-62 in Saturday's final game.

The Gold Rush have one more game before Christmas — 6 p.m. Tuesday at NAIA No. 10 William Carey (10-1) in Hattiesburg, Miss. It will be the third of six consecutive XU road games; the next home game will start at 5 p.m. on Jan. 12 against Tougaloo at XU's new Convocation Center.

Box score

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

Gold Nuggets win by 20 in first road game of the season

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Andraquay Quinnine and SiMon Franklin scored 13 points apiece Friday to lead NAIA No. 9 Xavier University of Louisiana in a wire-to-wire 62-42 women's basketball victory against William Carey.

It was the first road game of the regular season for the Gold Nuggets (8-1), who won their sixth in a row and snapped a two-game losing streak at William Carey (6-5).

Quinnine's points were a season high, and it was the fourth time she scored in double figures. Franklin led Xavier with seven points during a 25-3 run which covered both halves and lasted nearly 10 minutes. Whitney Gaston-Loyd's two free throws with 14:03 remaining capped the run and gave the Nuggets their largest lead, 48-22.

Xavier's Chelsea Broussard scored 10 points, all in the first half, to equal her career best. Her final basket gave the Nuggets a 31-20 halftime lead.

Amber Jackson, with 12 points, was William Carey's only double-figure scorer. Xavier limited the Lady Crusaders' leading season scorer, Vechatita Bonner, to a season-low four points in 23 minutes.

Xavier outshot William Carey 41.7 to 33.3 percent from the floor. The Nuggets reached 40 percent for the first time since their opener. Xavier committed 18 turnovers and gained 33, 22 by steals. Quinnine, Franklin and Paige Gauthier each had four steals, and Carmen Holcombe had three.

Xavier, which entered the game No. 2 in scoring defense in NAIA Division I, allowed less than 50 points for the sixth time this season. William Carey scored its fewest points this season and lost for the first time in five games.

Xavier, a 62-59 and 60-51 loser in its previous two trips to William Carey, improved its series lead to 49-21. The teams will meet again Jan. 31 at Xavier's new Convocation Center.

It was the Nuggets' first game since the conclusion of semester exams earlier in the day, and it was their final game before Christmas. Their next games will be Dec. 28 against Belhaven and Dec. 29 against NAIA No. 24 Faulkner in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Montgomery, Ala. The Nuggets' next home game will start at 2 p.m. against NAIA No. 12 Bethel (Tenn.) on Jan. 2.

 

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director

XULAATHLETICS

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA

XU's Jackson, Moses receive All-Louisiana honors again

Zahri Jackson

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Zahri Jackson was a repeat selection on the 2012 All-Louisiana women's cross country team announced late Friday, and Joseph Moses was voted Coach of the Year for the fifth time.
    
Xavier had no representatives on the All-Louisiana men's team, which also was announced Friday.
    
Jackson, a sophomore from Kingwood, Texas, and a graduate of Kingwood Park High School, won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference individual championship for the second consecutive year — this time in a school-record 18 minutes, 54.69 seconds for 5,000 meters — and led the Gold Nuggets to their seventh consecutive GCAC team title.
    
Jackson was GCAC Runner of the Week three times and tied the league's women's career record with eight Runner of the Week awards. Her time at the GCAC meet was the second fastest there since 1999. She is the first female in at least 13 seasons to win the GCAC individual championship as a freshman and sophomore.
    
Moses, in his eighth season at Xavier, led the Nuggets to another GCAC title and, for the fourth time in five years, a berth in the NAIA national meet. The XU women were 33-9 entering nationals, including a victory against Seton Hall of the Big East Conference, and posted the GCAC's first perfect score at the women's league meet since 1996.
 
Moses won the Louisiana coaching award for the second consecutive year, the fourth time in five years and the fifth time in seven years. He is the only Louisiana coach to win the women's award more than twice.
    
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel selected the teams.

Coach Joseph Moses

2012 All-Louisiana Women's Cross Country Team
Emmi Aguillard, senior, Tulane
Paige Callahan, sophomore, Tulane
Laura Carleton, senior, LSU
Tessni Carruthers, sophomore, Nicholls State
Allison Crawford, freshman, McNeese State
Anna Katherine Devitt, freshman, Louisiana-Lafayette
Zahri Jackson, sophomore, Xavier
Fionnuala Ross, senior, McNeese State
Runner of the Year: Laura Carleton, LSU
Newcomer of the Year: Jessica Stone, senior, New Orleans
Freshman of the Year: Anna Katherine Devitt, Louisiana-Lafayette
Coach of the Year: Joseph Moses, Xavier

2012 All-Louisiana Men's Cross Country Team
Alex Bruce-Littlewood, graduate, McNeese State
Alex Kiptoo, sophomore, McNeese State
Hillary Kirwa, junior, Louisiana-Monroe
Jarrett LeBlanc, senior, McNeese State
Mark Manion, sophomore, Tulane
Daniel Mutai, senior, Louisiana-Monroe
David Rooney, senior, McNeese State
Runner of the Year: David Rooney, McNeese State
Newcomer of the Year: Hillary Kirwa, Louisiana-Monroe
Freshman of the Year: Stephen Kerr, McNeese State
Coach of the Year: Brendon Gilroy, McNeese State

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

Gold Rush double up on Martin Methodist, win 64-57

MOBILE, Ala. -- Wanto Joseph, Anthony Simmons and Denzell Erves produced double-doubles Friday for NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana in a 64-57 men's basketball victory against Martin Methodist in the Spring Hill Classic.

The Gold Rush (10-2), playing for the first time since the conclusion of semester exams earlier in the day, are 4-0 on the road this season.

Joseph, the reigning Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week, and Xavier Rogers led Xavier with 15 points apiece. Joseph had a career-high 10 assists, nine in the first half. Simmons had 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Erves had 10 points and 12 rebounds. Nick Haywood made a season-high four 3-pointers and scored 13 points for Xavier, which produced five double-figure scorers for the second time this season.

Marlon Williams scored 18 points, Jeremy Rodgers a season-high 16 and Antonio Coleman 10 for Martin Methodist (6-7), which has lost three in a row.

Coleman's two free throws at 12:38 of the first half concluded a 16-0 run which gave the RedHawks an 18-7 advantage. Martin Methodist took its biggest lead, 20-8, on Davie Champagnie's basket at 10:58. Then Xavier scored 23 of the next 26 points -- including Haywood's 4-point play and Rogers' back-to-back 3-pointers -- and took the lead for good in the 16th minute. The Gold Rush led 33-28 at halftime. The final margin was Xavier's largest of the second half.

Rogers scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season and scored his most points since the opener. Simmons' double-double was his fifth of the season, all in the last seven games, and 11th of his career. Erves' double-double was his seventh of the season and 14th of his career. It was the first time since the start of the 2003-04 season that Xavier had three double-doubles in a game.

Xavier outshot the RedHawks 42 to 39.6 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 34-30. Both teams committed 15 turnovers, but the Gold Rush had a 24-13 advantage in points off turnovers. Xavier's eight made 3-pointers -- its most since the opener -- in 17 attempts.

On Saturday, Xavier will play Voorhees (8-6) at 3 p.m., and Martin Methodist will play Spring Hill at 5 p.m. to conclude this event. Voorhees defeated Spring Hill 59-56 in Friday's second game.


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

Maynor says Rams have ‘feeling’ they can win title

FLORENCE, Alabama  -- “We believe.”

That’s the simple answer Coach Connell Maynor of Winston-Salem State gave when asked why his team has been so good this season.

That motto has spread throughout campus and appears on T-shirts and other accessories with the WSSU logo. Now, the Rams are one win away from the school’s first Division II championship in football.

WSSU (14-0) will play Valdosta State (11-2) at 1 p.m. today at Braly Stadium in Florence, Ala. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

“Those guys know they have a chance to make history,” Maynor said.

The Rams can become the first historically black college to win the Division II championship and the second to win a national championship in football. Florida A&M won the I-AA title in 1978.

After WSSU advanced to the title game last week with a 41-18 victory against West Texas A&M, Maynor avoided two players trying to pour a cooler-size bucket of water on him. He scolded them and kept moving, because the Rams haven’t yet reached their goal.

READ MORE

WSSU fans take in Alabama history, gear up for game

FLORENCE, ALA. --  Cheryl Johnson and Rosyln Moffitt, alumnae of Winston-Salem State University, wanted to show their group of nine other WSSU alumni and students some of the history of the civil-rights movement as they drove Friday to Florence, Ala.
The group is among a large contingent of WSSU fans who traveled from North Carolina and the Southeast to attend the NCAA Division II National Championship football between Winston-Salem State and Valdosta State.
Johnson and Moffitt, both 1978 graduates of WSSU, decided to stop in Birmingham, Ala., and visit the 16th Street Baptist Church where four black girls were killed in a racially motivated bombing there in September 1963. Historians say that incident helped galvanize public support for the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

“We wanted to give the young men a sense of history,” Moffitt said.

The group then returned to the van and completed the 545-mile trek to Florence. For most of them, it was their first trip to Alabama. Johnson, a native of Winston-Salem, and Moffitt, a native of Raleigh, both live in Charlotte.

The group is staying at ...

READ MORE

Alabama State holds on to beat Troy 74-68, earns season first win

WINSTON-SALEM, Alabama -- Alabama State made it interesting, but did manage to pick up its first win of the season with a 74-68 victory against Troy.

A 3-pointer from Shawntez Patterson with 11:28 left in the game gave the Hornets a 64-44 lead, which was also their largest lead of the game.

From there, Troy started to work its way back into the game by scoring nine consecutive points over the next five minutes to cut the lead to nine at 64-53.

A Stephawn basket and Denzell McDaniel three slowed the Trojans momentum pushing the lead back out to 69-53 with five minutes left, but Troy had one more push in them.

Troy closed the game out scoring ASU 15-5 to cut the deficit down to the final six- point margin.  Helping the comeback was ASU's problems at the free-throw line where at one point it missed six consecutive and only made six of their 19 attempts in the second half.

For the second consecutive game, the Hornets had four players score in double digits as Patterson, Brown and Phillip Crawford scored 12 points each.  Coming off the bench McDaniel added 10.

READ MORE