SHREVEPORT, La. — Senior guard Lance Williams scored 23 points Monday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana in an 87-80 Red River Athletic Conference men's basketball victory at LSU-Shreveport.
        The XULA men (6-2 overall, 5-1 RRAC) won their sixth straight and remained in second place in the conference, a half-game ahead of LSU-Alexandria. The Pilots, who reached the third round of NAIA nationals last season, are 4-5 and 1-4.
        It was the first victory for the Gold Rush at LSUS since 2008. XULA's losing streak at The Dock was seven games.
        Williams, XULA's leading scorer this season, made 13-of-15 free throws and, for the second consecutive game, had six assists. Williams scored 16 second-half points, including 8-of-9 free throws in the final six minutes.
        James Weathers, named RRAC Offensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, scored 16 points for the Gold Rush, Omarion Bodrick scored 14 on 7-of-11 from the floor, and Corey Dunning had season highs of 11 points and eight rebounds.
        LSUS lost despite three 20-point scorers. Taj Anderson had 29, and Melvion Flanagan and Davion Coleman scored 22 apiece.
        Freshman guard Elijah Pichon's free throw in the 18th minute — his only point of the game — put the Gold Rush ahead to stay at 36-35. It was 40-37 at halftime, and Bodrick's basket with 2:03 remaining gave XULA its largest lead, 82-70.
        LSUS outshot XULA 53.3 to 51.8 percent from the floor, and both teams made 23 free throws. The Gold Rush won the rebounds by two and the turnovers by five.
        Before Monday, the last time the Gold Rush won at LSUS was 75-72 in overtime on Jan. 23, 2008. Current XULA head coach Alfred Williams led the Gold Rush that evening with a career-high 23 points.
        The Gold Rush will break for semester exams, then play RRAC home games Dec. 12 against Texas A&M-Texarkana, Dec. 19 against Southwest (N.M.) and Dec. 21 against Paul Quinn.