Box Score HOUSTON —
Devin Andrew scored 19 points Monday, and
Kevin Miller's free throw and steal in the final 10 seconds helped NAIA No. 20 Xavier University of Louisiana preserve a 63-60 men's basketball victory over St. Thomas (Texas).
The Gold Rush, winning by three points on the road for the second time in three days, are 8-0 for the first time since the 1983-84 season. St. Thomas is 3-6.
Andrew missed the front end of a 1-and-1 free throw with 8.5 seconds remaining and Xavier leading 62-60, but Miller grabbed the rebound and was fouled while shooting. Miller made the front end of double-bonus free throws, then stole the ball from Anthony Medina before he could beat the buzzer with an attempted 3-pointer.
Cordell Hadnot had nine points and a career-high-tying 12 rebounds for Xavier, which trailed 29-24 at halftime. The Gold Rush committed 11 more turnovers than the Celts but outshot them 56.8 to 40 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 30-21. Xavier shot 68.4 percent from the floor (13-of-19) in the second half.
Jeremy Lewis led St. Thomas with 16 points and six assists, and Medina had 12 points. Both made three 3-pointers.
Andrew and Hadnot scored nine first-half points apiece, and Hadnot had seven rebounds by halftime. Hadnot, a junior, has reached double-figure rebounds three times at Xavier, all on the road.
Xavier has won 12 consecutive regular-season games, its longest streak since winning 13 in a row in 1986-87. The next Gold Rush game will start at 6 p.m. Friday against Talladega at The Barn.