NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana got 24 points from Morris Wright, 23 from Sydney Coleman and 22 from Anthony Goode in an 85-72 men's basketball victory Saturday against Tougaloo in the semifinals of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament at the Convocation Center.
    The Gold Rush (24-8), seeded second in the tournament and ranked 18th in NAIA Division I, will play top-seeded and NAIA No. 1 Talladega (27-4) for the championship at 5 p.m. Sunday at Xavier. Talladega defeated Philander Smith 93-89 in the other semifinal.
    Wright matched his season scoring high, and Coleman matched his career high. Wright, Coleman and Goode combined to make 32-of-34 free throws.
    Quintarius Porter scored 19 points and Jurmond Cottonhead 11 for the Bulldogs (13-13), who were seeded third.
    Xavier led 45-30 at halftime after building a 20-point lead. For the game, the Gold Rush outshot Tougaloo 61.8 to 37.5 percent from the floor and made 39-of-44 free throws, 30-of-34 in the second half.
    Xavier's 39 made free throws were one less than the school record set Feb. 28, 1987, against SUNO. Goode was 15-of-16 from the line and made the most in a game by a Gold Rush player since Kelechi Okoroha's 16 against LSU-Shreveport on Feb. 7, 2009.
    Coleman is 15-of-15 from the floor in two tournament games. He made all eight attempts against Tougaloo. Xavier shot better than 60 percent from the floor in each of its two tournament games.
    Xavier advanced to the GCAC Tournament final for the first time since 2011 and seeks its first championship in this event since 1996. Talladega defeated Philander Smith 104-95 in overtime at Xavier in last year's tourney final.