NEW ORLEANS — Morris Wright scored 26 points Monday, and the defense of NAIA No. 17 Xavier University of Louisiana excelled again in a 71-52 men's basketball victory against Edward Waters.
     Xavier (13-4) won its Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener and allowed fewer than 60 points for the fourth consecutive game and the eighth time this season. The Gold Rush entered No. 3 nationally in scoring defense.
     Edward Waters (6-10, 0-2) entered leading NAIA Division I in 3-point field-goal percentage defense, but Wright made his first four attempts from behind the arc — giving him nine consecutive makes over two consecutive games — and finished 5-of-7. It was the eighth time this season that Wright reached 20 points and the 19th time in the last 20 games that he led his team in scoring.
     Xavier's Gary Smith, with 10 points, reached double figures for a career-best third straight game. Elex Carter and Seth Jackson scored seven points apiece, and Carter and Jarvis Thibodeaux grabbed eight rebounds each.
     Keith Williams made three 3-pointers and scored 15 points for the Tigers, who have lost eight straight to Xavier since 1996. Charles-Eddie Smith had 13 points and four steals, and Oceann Maddox had nine points and seven rebounds.
     Xavier led 35-22 at halftime — the third consecutive game the Gold Rush held a double-digit advantage at the break — and took its largest lead, 64-43, on Thibodeaux's two free throws with 2:58 remaining.
     Xavier outshot the Tigers 51.9 to 34 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 39-26.
     Xavier, 11-0 at home this season, will play host to GCAC opponent Philander Smith at 7:30 p.m. next Monday.