Box Score

     NEW ORLEANS — Wanto Joseph's basket with seven-tenths of a second remaining in overtime Monday gave NAIA No. 16 Xavier University of Louisiana a 70-68 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against SUNO at the Convocation Center.
     The Gold Rush (16-3) have won five in a row and are 4-0 in the GCAC for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
     Joseph scored six points in the final 2 1/2 minutes after SUNO grabbed a 66-62 lead. He scored the winning points on a fadeaway shot left of the lane, about 12 feet from the basket.
     Anthony Simmons scored a season-high-tying 20 points, Joseph had 18 points and 12 assists, and Denzell Erves had 18 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots for Xavier. Joseph and Erves produced double-doubles for the second consecutive game.
     Broc Willis scored a season-high 17 points for SUNO (8-3, 2-2). Clyde Moore had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Kevin Dukes and Russell Moore scored 10 points each.
     Joseph made 1-of-2 free throws with 11.8 seconds remaining in the second half to tie the score at 60. Then both teams missed shots which would've ended the game in regulation.
     SUNO used a 9-0 run to take its largest lead, 17-7. The Knights led 33-29 at halftime, and there were eight lead changes and 11 ties thereafter.
     Six of the last eight games between these city rivals have been decided by four or fewer points. SUNO won 67-64 in overtime at Xavier's previous facility, The Barn, a year ago.
     The Gold Rush outshot the Knights 53.8 to 39.7 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 33-30. Xavier blocked eight shots, its most in a game since December 2009.
     Xavier remained in a tie for first in the conference with Philander Smith, a 96-95 winner in double-overtime at Talladega. Xavier and Philander Smith will meet at noon Saturday at the Convocation Center.