Group play schedule
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Seniors
Rayshawn Mart and
Makye Richard scored 20
points apiece Monday to lead NAIA No. 23 Xavier University of Louisiana
in a 78-51 men's basketball victory against Tougaloo.
It was the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
XULA is 4-1 overall, and it was the season opener for Tougaloo.
XULA outscored Tougaloo 11-0 in the first 3:08
— Mart scored six of those points — and led wire-to-wire. It was 34-16 at halftime.
Mart's 3-pointer with 18 minutes remaining
made it 39-19, and XULA led by 20-or-more points for the remainder of the game.
Mart also produced game-highs of nine rebounds and four steals.
Richard grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots.
XULA's other double-figure scorer was
TJ Jones with a season-high 13 points.
Jordan Temple's 3-pointer with 6:35 remaining gave XULA its largest lead, 70-36.
Jaylen Lester scored 15 points and Trajan Fielder 11 for Tougaloo,
the runner-up to XULA in the 2019-20 GCAC regular season standings and tournament.
XULA limited Tougaloo to its fewest points in a game since
a 60-51 loss at Hope International on Nov. 21, 2015, and its fewest points in a GCAC game since a 58-51
loss at Edward Waters on Jan. 13, 2014.
It was XULA's largest winning margin against Tougaloo since a 78-45 road victory on Feb. 28, 1999.
All seven GCAC men's teams are playing league games through Thursday at
Talladega's first-year facility, the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center.
XULA's other games this week will start 2:30 p.m. Tuesday against Rust and noon
Wednesday against Philander Smith.
In the other GCAC men's openers Monday, NAIA No. 17 Talladega defeated Rust 73-70,
and Dillard beat Philander Smith 81-72.
| XULA men's basketball's largest winning margins in GCAC openers |
| Season | Date | Opponent | Site | Score | Margin |
| 1992-93 | Nov. 18, 1992 (Wed.) | Tougaloo | H-The Barn | W 119-73 | + 46 |
| 2007-08 | Jan. 3, 2008 (Thu.) | Belhaven | A-Jackson, Miss. | W 98-64 | + 32 |
| 2013-14 | Jan. 4, 2014 (Sat.) | Fisk | A-Nashville, Tenn. | W 75-46 | + 29 |
| 2020-21 | Jan. 11, 2021 (Mon.) | Tougaloo | N-Talladega, Ala. | W 78-51 | + 27 |
| 1981-82 | Nov. 28, 1981 (Sat.) | William Carey | H-The Barn | W 85-63 | + 22 |
| 1995-96 | Jan. 11, 1996 (Thu.) | William Carey | A-Hattiesburg, Miss. | W 78-57 | + 21 |
| 2015-16 | Jan. 4, 2016 (Mon.) | Edward Waters | H-Convocation Center | W 71-52 | + 19 |
