TOUGALOO, Miss. — Jalen David, one of six from Xavier University of Louisiana in double figures, scored a season-high-tying 15 points Saturday in an 83-72 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.
     The Gold Rush (13-4, 2-0) have won seven straight, the GCAC's longest streak this season. XULA will visit Talladega at 7:30 p.m. Monday, with the winner taking sole possession of first place in the conference.
     All five XULA starters scored in double figures. Joseph Williams, Rayshawn Mart and Jeff Dixon had 13 points apiece and Khalil McCoy scored 11. Reserve Mike Williams had 10 points. Mart and Dixon scored 11 points apiece in the second half, and Dixon had a game-high seven assists.
     Anferee Parker scored 18 points, Carlo McDonald 14 and Tonzell Handy 11 for the Bulldogs (8-4, 1-1). Handy grabbed nine rebounds, and Parker had six assists.
     McCoy made three 3-pointers to lead XULA to a 41-25 halftime advantage. It was the fourth straight game and the sixth time in the last seven games that the Gold Rush held a double-digit lead at the break.
     Tougaloo cut XULA's lead to 55-53 on a Courey Davis 3-pointer with 8:39 remaining, but two McCoy free throws capped a 16-5 run that gave the Gold Rush a 71-58 advantage with 3:30 remaining.
     XULA outshot the Bulldogs 50.8 to 41 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 35-29. Williams and Mart grabbed eight rebounds apiece.
     The win streak is XULA's longest since winning eight in a row Jan. 10-Feb. 5, 2015.
     Talladega improved to 3-0 in the GCAC with an 82-80 home victory against Philander Smith. The Panthers tied the score at 76 after trailing by 18, but Devonte Dixon's 3-pointer with 1:54 remaining put Talladega ahead to stay, 79-76.