Box Score      NEW ORLEANS — Renard Smith's free throw with 51 seconds remaining put Xavier University of Louisiana ahead to stay Friday in a 75-71 men's basketball victory against Jarvis Christian in the Big Easy Classic at XU's Convocation Center.
     The Gold Rush are 3-0 for the 11th consecutive season. It was Jarvis Christian's opener.
     Tuskegee defeated Spring Hill 62-60 in overtime in the opening game. Spring Hill will play Jarvis Christian at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Xavier will play Tuskegee at 4 p.m.
     Smith's free throw gave Xavier — which trailed by nine points in the 32nd minute — a 72-71 lead. It was 74-71 after Wanto Joseph's two free throws with 26 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs' Roman Walker missed a 3-pointer which would've tied the score with seven seconds remaining.
     Joseph scored 16 points, 12 in the second half, and Anthony Simmons 14 for Xavier. Denzell Erves had 13 points and 12 rebounds — his third consecutive double-double — and Nick Haywood and RJ Daniels scored 11 points apiece. Smith had eight points.
     It was the third consecutive game that Joseph and Haywood scored in double figures.
     Marcus O'Key scored 15 points, Walker 13 and EJ Freeman 10 for Jarvis Christian.
     Both teams shot 39 percent from the floor. The Gold Rush outrebounded the Bulldogs 47-33 and outscored them 27-17 in made free throws. Xavier was 22-of-25 from the line in the second half and made 13 in a row during a span of approximately 10 minutes.
     Dewayne Wade made both ends of a 1-and-1 at 4:08 of the first half to give Jarvis Christian its biggest lead, 33-21. The Bulldogs led 38-32 at halftime and 60-51 after Nathan Johnson's two free throws with 8:42 remaining.
     It's the first time since the 1991-92 season that Xavier scored at least 75 points in each of its first three games.