Twitter video of winning shot

     NEW ORLEANS — Rayshawn Mart's offensive rebound and dunk with 2.7 seconds remaining Monday lifted Xavier University of Louisiana to a 74-73 victory against William Carey in a matchup of ranked NAIA men's basketball teams.
     The Gold Rush (4-0), ranked 23rd, defeated a top-10 opponent for the first time since March 2016. The Crusaders (1-1) are ranked 10th.
     Mart, a sophomore, made his second career winning shot after Ed Carter's missed layup. The Crusaders' Adrian Williams missed a desperation shot from midcourt as time expired.
     "Rayshawn looked like he dunked on four people," XULA head coach Alfred Williams said. "He played big. He's a stat-stuffer for us. When he's playing well, he's hard to beat."
     Johnell Lane made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points for XULA. Carter scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers, and Mart and William Loyd scored 11 apiece. Mart led the Gold Rush with five rebounds and six assists.
     Mart scored a career-high 22 points in XULA's home opener four nights earlier.
     Sheppard, Anthony Jones and Brandon Cranford combined to make 21-of-27 from the floor and score 56 points for William Carey. Sheppard and Jones scored 19 points apiece, and Cranford made 6-of-8 3-pointers for 18 points. Sheppard grabbed 12 rebounds.
     William Carey led 38-33 at halftime. Both teams had eight-point leads in the second half. Cranford's 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining gave the Crusaders a 73-72 lead and capped an 11-2 run.
     Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the floor. XULA made 11 3-pointers for the third consecutive game.
     "Getting tested this early in the season should help us the rest of the way," Williams said.