NEW ORLEANS, La. - Xavier came up four points short here Saturday night, dropping a 77-73 heartbreaker to North Texas-Dallas in Red River Athletic Conference play. 

The Gold Rush (13-7, 10-5 RRAC) played a strong game on defense and had their chances on offense, but the shots just weren't falling for the homestanding XULA, which went 37 percent from the field compared to the 47 percent from the Mustangs (8-11, 7-8 RRAC). 

There were still positives in the game for Xavier. 

Leon Williams and Nasir DeGruy capped strong individual weeks. 

Coming off a 22–point, 8-steal game against Southwest, Williams had the most complete game with 15 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. 

DeGruy, who put up a game-high 24 against Southwest earlier in the week, added 14 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. 

Next up for the Gold Rush will be a Monday night non-conference game against in-town rival Dillard on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.