NEW ORLEANS - The Gold Rush logged a statement win here Saturday, defeating a quality North American team 95-81 to remain in the mix for first place in the Red River Athletic Conference race. 

Xavier (8-3, 5-1) jumped to second place with the win, which was the team's fifth consecutive victory. 

The Gold Rush, who shot 56.4 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point range, led 39-33 at the half, then outscored the Mustangs (8-5, 4-4) by twelve in the second. 

An impressive six Xavier men scored in double figures. 

Low-post presence Jamal Gibson led all scorers with 25 points and, by virtue of his 10 rebounds, logged his third double-double of the season. 

Seviuhn Turner added 12 points, and Leon Williams scored 11. The trio of Bentravin Phillips, Nasir DeGruy, and D'Ron McZeal contributed 10 points apiece. 

The story of the night, however, was the collective bench play of the Gold Rush. Every reserve player who entered the game scored at least five points. 

Although his point total was a single digit short of double-figures, Wayne Randall-Bashay was the most productive bench player in the contest, scoring 9 points to go along with a game-high 8 assists. He also contributed 4 steals, two big blocks, and 3 assists. 

The Gold Rush will not have to wait long to make their play for first place in the RRAC. Conference-leading LSU-Shreveport is XULA's next opponent. 

That game is slated for 7:30 on Thursday, Jan. 8, at the Convocation Center.