NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana scored the first 11 points Saturday and rolled to a 71-62 men's basketball victory against Spring Hill.
     Morris Wright scored 17 points for the Gold Rush, ranked 19th in the NAIA, and Elex Carter and Jarvis Thibodeaux scored 10 apiece. Xavier is 3-0 for the 14th consecutive season.
     Xavier never lost its lead after outscoring the Badgers 11-0 — including a pair of RJ Daniels 3-pointers — in the first 4:43. The Gold Rush led by double digits for nearly 28 minutes, and Lucas Martin-Julien's 3-pointer with 4:35 remaining made it 68-48.
     Wright, who didn't score until the 14th minute, made 5-of-6 3-pointers and had five assists, one turnover and two steals. The senior guard needs 21 points to become the 25th Gold Rush player with 1,000 in a career.
     Sawyer Glick scored 19 points, including 4-of-6 3-pointers, for the Badgers, and Jarrett Calhoun scored 16.
     The Gold Rush shot a season-high 53.7 percent from the floor and limited Spring Hill to 44.7 percent. Both teams shot well from 3-point range — Xavier was 9-of-15, and the Badgers were 9-of-18. Xavier produced assists on 21-of-22 field goals. Gary Smith had six assists, and Martin-Julien had five.
     The game was an exhibition for Spring Hill — an NCAA Division II member which will open its regular season Friday — but Xavier counted it in its records and statistics.
     Xavier will play twice at home next week: 7 p.m. Monday against city rival Loyola and 7 p.m. Thursday against another NCAA Division II opponent, Miles. Xavier is 20-7 against NCAA D2s during Dannton Jackson's 13 seasons as head coach.