Buy tickets online

        NEW ORLEANS — Third-seeded Xavier University of Louisiana will play sixth-seeded Southwest (N.M.) at 4:45 p.m. CST Friday in the men's basketball quarterfinals of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament at Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria, La.
        Eight of the RRAC's 12 teams qualified. The champion will receive an automatic bid to NAIA nationals, which will begin March 15 and conclude March 26.
        XULA was third seeded a year ago when it upset top-seeded LSU-Shreveport 79-63 in the RRAC Tournament final. It was the third conference tournament championship for the Gold Rush in four years — the first time in more than 80 years that the XULA men have won at that rate.
        If XULA advances, it would play in the semifinals against second-seeded Texas College or seventh-seeded Jarvis Christian at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The championship game will tip off at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
        The Gold Rush are 22-6 overall and tied for second with Texas College in the RRAC regular-season standings at 17-5. Texas College won a tiebreaker with XULA for the No. 2 seed.
        XULA was 2-0 against Southwest during the regular season. The Gold Rush won 77-75 Nov. 30 at Hobbs, N.M. — that was the RRAC opener for both — and 75-65 Jan. 25 at the Convocation Center.
        XULA statistical leaders include TJ Jones with 14 points per game, 131 assists and 27 games played, J'Quan Ewing with 8.4 rebounds per game and 68.2-percent field-goal accuracy, Jathen Ross with 55 made 3-pointers, Cory Wells with 40 steals, 27 blocked shots, 87 free throws made, 27 games played and 26 games started, and Lance Williams with 27 games played.
        XULA and Southwest will meet in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. The Gold Rush won 74-58 in 2022 and 94-59 — sparked by Ross' school-record 10 3-pointers in 13 attempts — in 2023.

2024 Red River Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
at Rapides Parish Coliseum, Alexandria, La.
Quarterfinals — Friday, March 1
LSU-Shreveport (No. 4 seed, 21-7) vs. Our Lady of the Lake (No. 5 seed, 13-14), 3 p.m.
XULA (No. 3 seed, 22-6) vs. Southwest (N.M.) (No. 6 seed, 13-15), 4:45 p.m.
Texas College (No. 2 seed, 21-7) vs. Jarvis Christian (No. 7 seed, 11-15), 6:30 p.m.
LSU-Alexandria (No. 1 seed, 21-6) vs. Paul Quinn (No. 8 seed, 7-17), 8:15 p.m.

Semifinals — Saturday, March 2
XULA/Southwest winner vs. Texas College/Jarvis Christian winner, 5:30 p.m.
LSUA/Paul Quinn winner vs. LSUS/Our Lady of the Lake winner, 7:30 p.m.

Championship — Sunday, March 3
Semifinal winners meet at 4:30 p.m.