HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. — Xavier University of Louisiana produced four double-figure scorers Monday, and freshman TJ Jones had 12 assists in an 88-77 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball victory against Rust.
     The Gold Rush (14-4, 2-0), ranked 14th in NAIA Division I, have won four straight and 10 of 11.
     Rayshawn Mart scored 20 points, Virgil Davison 15, Ed Carter 13 and Makye Richard 10 for XULA. The Bearcats (1-13, 0-2) had five double-figure scorers, including Malik Burnett with 20 points and Jordan Jackson with 14.
     XULA led wire-to-wire. It was 42-26 at halftime.
     "I am happy that that we won because it's hard to win on the road, but we didn't finish the game the way I wanted us to," XULA head coach Alfred Williams said. "We were up close to 30 points and gave away much of the lead by losing focus defensively and turning the ball over. If we want to be the team we want to be, we have to focus in for 40 minutes. Tonight we didn't do that."
     Jones's assists were the most in a game by a XULA man since Wanto Joseph in the 2012-13 season.
     XULA outshot the Bearcats 54.8 to 48.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded them 31-23. The Gold Rush made 11 3-pointers — three apiece by Carter, Davison and Johnell Lane — to the Bearcats' seven. XULA made eight 3s in the first half.
     XULA shares first place in the GCAC with Tougaloo, an 87-68 winner Monday at Philander Smith. Talladega is 1-0; its game at SUNO was not played because no referees showed up, according to Talladega Athletics Director Kevin Herod.
     Rust lost for the 31st time in its last 32 games.
     XULA will visit GCAC and city rival SUNO ay 7:30 p.m. next Monday.