COLUMBUS, Ga. — Xavier University of Louisiana turned a nine-point deficit into an 11-point lead, then held on to earn a 66-64 men's basketball victory Saturday against NCAA Division II Columbus State.
     The Gold Rush (5-3), winning on the road for the third time this season, snapped a two-game losing streak. XULA will visit another D2 opponent, Clark Atlanta, at 4 p.m. EST Sunday.
     William Loyd produced his second double-double of the season, 18 points and 12 rebounds, for the Gold Rush. Nigel Allen scored 11 points and missed only one shot, and Rayshawn Mart and Cameron Wells scored 10 points apiece.
     Anthony Moore scored 16 points, Landrius Horton 12 and Bryant Givens 11 for the Cougars (2-2). Givens had seven assists.
     The Gold Rush shot 50 percent from the floor — the fourth time this season that XULA made at least half its shots — and a season-best 81.3 percent from the line. XULA was a season-best plus-7 in rebounds.
     A Givens basket during thr 10th minutes gave Columbus State its largest lead, 18-9. But XULA answered with a 16-4 run, including a pair of Allen 3-pointers, and the Gold Rush led 35-30 at halftime after Lloyd closed the period with a 3-point play.
     A Cameron Dumas 3-pointer with 11:49 remaining gave XULA its largest lead, 48-37. The Cougars rallied for three ties in the final 6 1/2 minutes, then a Cameron Wells basket at 3:03 put the Gold Rush ahead to stay, 58-56.