NEW ORLEANS - Playing before a packed house of north of 3,000 fans and against a crosstown rival brought out the best in the Xavier men's basketball team. The Gold Rush used a second-half offensive outpouring to best the Blue Devils 88-68. 

Dillard (3-2) enjoyed a 30-25 advantage at the break, thanks in large part to shooting troubles for the Gold Rush (2-1), who were shot just 25 percent in the game's first 20 minutes. 

In the second half, though, Xavier proved adept at shaking off the slow start, and shot just under 64 percent for the remainder of the game. 

The Gold Rush also proved to be the more spirited team on the night. Although hustle plays are not reflected in the boxscore, on numerous occasions, Xavier men found a next gear or displayed unusual bravery in securing a loose ball. 

D'Ron McZeal, a freshman guard from Geismar, Louisiana, scored just four points on the night, but he lived up to the imagery his last name invokes, thrilling the Homecoming with his unbridled commitment to retaining possession for the Gold Rush. 

On one occasion, he nearly went headfirst into the scorer's table diving for a ball that had been slapped away. Late in the game, he made the most of his 5-foot-8 frame to grab a much-needed offensive board in the paint. 

XULA's offense, though, was paced by Bentravin Phillips, who scored a game-high 25 points. Seviuhn Turner added 14 points, while Kerel Dean added 12 and Nasir DeGruy 10. 

Kalbe Huggins came off the bench to lead the Gold Rush in rebounding with 9. 

Next up for XULA is a Thursday night road trip to Southern University of New Orleans. The game tips at 7 p.m.