Box Score NEW ORLEANS —
Kelechi Okoroha scored six of his 19 points during a 21-4 run
Thursday which rallied Xavier University of Louisiana to a 67-62 Gulf Coast Athletic
Conference men's basketball victory over city rival Loyola at The Barn.
Xavier (21-8 overall, 11-6 GCAC) snapped a four-game losing streak and clinched
homecourt advantage for a Wednesday quarterfinal game in the GCAC Tournament.
Shaun Dumas had 10 points and a season-high 10 assists — the seventh double-double of
his career — for the Gold Rush, which defeated the Wolfpack for the 11th consecutive
time and leads the series 24-2.
Luke Zumo scored 16 points, Mario Faranda 14 and Sean Bennett and Beaulieu 13 apiece
for Loyola (15-12).
Zumo's basket with 12:04 remaining gave Loyola its largest lead of the game,
47-41. Then Xavier answered with its decisive run, which included Okoroha's basket
after an offensive rebound put the Rush ahead to stay, 51-49, at 7:08. Dumas
had two baskets and four assists during the run.
Xavier outshot Loyola 55 to 46 percent from the floor and outrebounded the
Wolfpack 33-20.
Alfred Williams and
Dannie Woods each grabbed 10 rebounds for the
Rush, with Woods reaching double figures for the first time and matching his
career high of three blocked shots. Xavier finished with a season-high-tying five
blocks after zero blocks the previous five games.
Xavier shot 65 percent from the floor in the first half and led 37-35 at the break.
The Rush earned homecourt advantage for the GCAC quarterfinals by winning
and by Spring Hill's 71-67 home loss to Mobile. With one regular-season game remaining
for all GCAC members, only two seeds have been determined. LSU-Shreveport has clinched
the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the tournament, and Mobile will be
the No. 2 seed. Xavier is tied for third place with Tougaloo but will be the No. 4 seed
if it finishes in a tie with the Bulldogs.
Xavier will close the regular season against Dillard at 7 p.m. Saturday at New Orleans Arena
in the Crosstown Classic presented by Siemens. Loyola will host Tougaloo at 7 p.m. Saturday.
