THOMASVILLE, Ga. — Xavier University of Louisiana opened the 2019-20 men's basketball season Friday with a 72-61 loss at Thomas University.
     William Loyd had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Gold Rush, Rayshawn Mart scored 12, and Virgil Davison had 10 points and six rebounds.
     Reserve Joshua Scott scored 21 points in 29 minutes for Thomas, which also played its opener. Ivan Tomic had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Night Hawks, and Trint Bryant scored 10.
     XULA used a 10-0 run to take a 25-18 lead, but Thomas answered with a 17-2 run and led 39-31 at halftime. The Gold Rush never got closer than four points in the second half.
     Thomas made 19-of-24 free throws to XULA's 9-of-17. "Free throws were the difference in this game," fourth-year XULA head coach Alfred Williams said.
     Last season XULA won 86-59 at home against Thomas.
     "Our defense did not get enough stops," Williams said, "and Thomas got all the 50/50 balls. I didn't like the way we played. I thought we would be more aggressive, but we weren't. Our shooters did not have a rhythm.
     "Our first half wasn't bad, but in the second half we did not match our opponent's intensity."
     XULA dropped a season opener for the first time since a 64-61 home loss to city rival Loyola on Nov. 9. 1994. The Gold Rush then won 23 consecutive openers, the last two on the road.
     The Gold Rush will stay on the road and play Coastal Georgia at 4 p.m. EDT Saturday in Brunswick, Ga. The Gold Rush home opener will tip off at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Carver in the Convocation Center.