NEW ORLEANS — Freddy Hughes scored a season-high 25 points Monday to lead LSU-Shreveport to a 91-81 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Xavier University of Louisiana at The Barn.
     Hughes scored 19 second-half points, including 10 of 10 free throws, for the Pilots, ranked fifth in NAIA Division I. Hughes finished 12 of 12 from the line and had eight assists and four steals.
     Jamon Morris had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Pilots (11-2 overall, 2-1 GCAC). Blake Whittle scored 14 points, and Greg Tyer and Travis Cash had 13 each.
     Shaun Dumas scored 19 of his career-high 26 points in the second half for Xavier (7-6, 0-3). Mark Stewart scored 15 for the Gold Rush, and Alfred Williams collected 10 points and 10 rebounds. Dannie Woods had 10 points.
     Stewart's 3-pointer gave Xavier a 38-27 lead at 4:53 of the first half, but the Pilots scored the final 12 points of the half and led 39-38 at the break.
     Dumas' basket to open the second half gave Xavier its final lead, 40-39. LSUS responded with a 16-5 run and led by no less than eight points in the final 12 1/2 minutes.
     LSUS outshot Xavier 48 to 44 percent from the floor and outscored the Gold Rush 25-15 from the line. Xavier made a season-high 11 3-pointers, five by Stewart and four by Dumas.
     Xavier's next game will start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against Spring Hill in Mobile, Ala. The next home game will start at 3 p.m. Saturday against Loyola.