NEW ORLEANS — Johnell Lane scored 25 points — the most in a game by a Xavier University of Louisiana player this season — to lead the Gold Rush to a 97-61 men's basketball victory Thursday against Jarvis Christian.
     Lane made 6-of-7 3-pointers to help the Gold Rush (5-5), ranked 23rd in the NAIA, snap a five-game losing streak. XULA shot a season-best 52.3 percent from the floor and produced its most points and largest winning margin since a 97-53 home victory against Rust on Jan. 13, 2017.
     It was the final Gold Rush game before semester exams. The next game will tip off at 3 p.m. Dec. 18 at home against first-time opponent Thomas University of Thomasville, Ga.
     William Loyd scored 16 points, Jevon Berry 12 and Breshaun Delpit a career-best 11 for XULA. Rayshawn Mart grabbed seven rebounds, and reserve center Haji Jawara had season bests of six points and six rebounds.
     Chasten King, who entered as NAIA Division I's second-leading scorer (26.8), had 21 points and a season-high seven assists for the Bulldogs (2-4). Kyarius Body scored 14, including three 3-pointers.
     Jarvis Christian led 7-2 through three minutes, then the Gold Rush took control with 23 consecutive points — nine by Lane and eight by Loyd — to grab a 37-12 lead at 5:49 of the first half. XULA led by double-digits for the final 28:54 — it was 44-28 at halftime — and by 20 for the final 11:04. The final score was the game's largest margin.
     XULA also produced season highs with 34 made field goals, 17 offensive rebounds, 24 assists, 28 turnovers gained, a plus-18 rebound margin and a plus-9 turnover margin. Ed Carter's streak of seven consecutive games with 10-or-more points ended — he managed just one free throw in 24 minutes — but the sophomore transfer from Detroit Mercy had 10 assists, the most by a XULA player this season.
     Jarvis Christian, which dropped its second straight, shot 42.2 percent from the floor. XULA outrebounded the Bulldogs 41-23.
     NOTES:  Lane made his last five 3's and became the third Gold Rush player to make six-or-more 3-pointers with only one miss. Morris Wright was 6-of-7 at Edward Waters on Jan. 24, 2015, and Davian Dixon was 6-of-7 at Belhaven on Feb. 12, 2004. The most XULA individual 3's without a miss in one game was Juan Mercier's 5-of-5 at home against Belhaven on Jan. 23, 1988 . . . Lane, a transfer from UT Tyler, has made a 3 in every game this season . . . Lane became the third Gold Rush player to make six 3's in a game at the Convocation Center, which opened in November 2012. Virgil Davison did it against SUNO on Jan. 29 last season, and Renard Smith did it against Tougaloo on Jan. 12, 2013 . . . No XULA player has made seven 3's in any game on campus, but it's happened five times on the road . . . Berry made all five of his free throws after going 0-of-3 in his previous six games . . . Freshman Donovan Saine still has yet to miss a shot in college. He was 2-of-2 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line, making him 4-of-4 in both areas for the season . . . The Gold Rush starters included Delpit, making his first collegiate start, and Khalil McCoy, starting for the fifth time in three seasons and the first time at home . . . The next NAIA coaches poll will be announced Tuesday.