NEW ORLEANS — Virgil Davison, one of four from Xavier University of Louisiana in double figures, scored 20 points Wednesday to lead the Gold Rush in an 83-71 men's basketball victory against Carver.
     Davison made a season-high-tying five 3-pointers to help the Gold Rush (7-4) snap a two-game losing streak. The junior guard also had a season-best four steals.
     Rayshawn Mart scored 15 points, Joseph Williams a career-high 13 and Jalen David 12 for XULA.
     Saveyon Edwards scored 29 points, 19 in the first half, for the Cougars (2-16). Edwards also had six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Malique Gibson scored 14 points for the Atlanta-based school.
     XULA scored the first seven points and led wire-to-wire. It was 42-28 at halftime, then XULA opened with a 16-4 run in the first six minutes of the second half to build its largest lead, 58-32. XULA held a double-digit advantage for the final 35:52.
     XULA outshot Carver 52.5 to 41.7 percent from the floor and had a 36-28 rebound advantage. The Cougars made their first 15 free throws and finished 16-of-17.
     This was the first of four games in six days for XULA, which completed its fall semester academic final exams earlier Wednesday. The Gold Rush will visit city rival Loyola at 7 p.m. Saturday, then play the University of the Virgin Islands at 5 p.m. Sunday and Rust at 7 p.m. Monday in the Xavier Classic at the Convocation Center.
     NOTES:  Carver won 74-72 Tuesday at Dillard, the defending Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and regular-season champion . . . XULA won its last 25 games when it scored at least 40 points in each half. The streak began in March 2005 . . . Not only is Mart the only player to reach 15 points in three straight XULA games this season — the streak is active — he's the first Gold Rush freshman in the last 11 seasons to produce that streak.