NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana built a 15-point halftime lead Thursday, then held on for a 66-63 men's basketball victory against Dillard in the Crosstown Classic at XULA's Convocation Center.
        The Gold Rush (11-6) gained a split in the two-game season series with the Bleu Devils (10-3).
        Xavier Reaves scored a season-high 23 points for XULA on 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from the line. The graduate transfer had three steals and two blocks.
        Jeremy Lindsey scored 10 points for XULA, including 8-of-12 free throws. Cory Wells grabbed a career-high-tying 11 rebounds.
        Ty'Ohn Trimble and Kenyon Duling scored 15 points apiece for Dillard, and Raheem Carter had 12 points and 16 rebounds.
        XULA led 62-52 in the 38th minute, then Dillard closed to 64-63 on two Trimble free throws in the final 10 seconds. Gold Rush fans finally exhaled after Lindsey sandwiched his offensive rebound between his pair of 1-of-2 trips to the line, and Trimble missed from 40 feet at the buzzer.
        Contributing to XULA's 31-16 halftime lead — its largest margin of the season — was Chris Ward with six points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots. Ward was 2-of-2 from the floor and 2-of-2 from the line.
        The Gold Rush will play host to Southwest (N.M.) at 4 p.m. Saturday in a Red River Athletic Conference game.