Box Score TALLADEGA, Ala. — Talladega defeated NAIA No. 25 Xavier University of Louisiana 84-64 in a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball game Saturday.
The Tornadoes (8-16 overall, 6-4 GCAC) ended the four-game win streak of the Gold Rush (18-7, 7-3). Xavier dropped to 2½ games behind conference leader Tougaloo, which won at Dillard, but held on to second place when SUNO lost at Edward Waters.
BJ Miller, one of five double-figure scorers for Talladega, scored a season-high 26 points.
Chris Iles scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and
Wanto Joseph 10 for Xavier.
Talladega made 27-of-30 free throws and outshot Xavier 54.5 to 44.9 percent from the floor. The Tornadoes committed nine turnovers and gained 24. Xavier was 15-of-29 from the line.
Xavier suffered its biggest losing margin in a GCAC game since a 71-45 decision at Tougaloo on Feb. 12, 2009.
Talladega, in the first season of its second stint as a GCAC member, gained a regular-season split with Xavier, which beat the Tornadoes 77-64 at The Barn on Jan. 21.
The Gold Rush will play Tougaloo at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the final XU basketball game at The Barn, which opened in 1937. It will be senior night for
Cordell Hadnot,
Chris Iles,
Jamaan Kenner and
Jeremy Lee, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Tougaloo can clinch the GCAC regular-season championship with a victory.
